How to Determine Whether Your Atlanta A/C Needs Ductwork
As a homeowner, you need to know the difference between necessary maintenance and services that are just a waste of time. You don’t want to be scammed by a company that says you need something when you don’t.
Air conditioning repair is one thing to be vigilant about. This comes into play when determining if your house needs duct repair. Being able to spot problems, that need to be addressed in your ductwork, will give you confidence when speaking to an HVAC company.
Ducts are the circulatory part of your A/C system. Without them, your A/C unit cannot supply cold air to your home. So, it is important that they are working properly. Ducts can fail to carry cold air to your house or be hazardous to your health. Here are several problems with ducts that may need to be fixed.
Disconnected Ducts Signal the Need for Duct Maintenance
Ducts that are disconnected or loose can cause a number of problems. Supply air ducts give cold air to your house. However, if they have holes you may have cold air being pumped into attics or crawl spaces in your house. This will keep cold air from cooling the interior of your house.
If the disconnected ducts are return air ducts, then you will be sucking air out of your attic or crawl space. When air is pulled from your attic, it is inefficient because warmer air collected from your attic takes more time to cool.
Meanwhile, down in your crawl space, disconnected ducts pull air that is hazardous to your health, as any mold and dust from the crawl space is pulled in. This mold and dust is brought into you living space and can cause allergy problems.
Your Ducts May Be Dirty
After years of service, your ducts can become full of dust and dirt—just with normal use. This can lead to problems for those with allergies. You’ll want to have your ducts cleaned if substantial and obvious mold growth is present on duct interiors. You can tell if this is the case by removing a register and checking the inside of the ductwork. You’ll also want to have them cleaned if there are signs of animal or insect activity such as droppings or insect parts.
Deteriorating Asbestos Tape Requires Maintenance
Asbestos tape was used to connect ductwork before it was banned in the late 1970’s. If your house was built before then, it probably has asbestos tape on the joints of your ductwork. Asbestos tape can be identified by its white color and cloth-like appearance. It can be hazardous to your health, potentially causing lung cancer when it becomes airborne.
Dealing with it should be a priority if there are pieces that have become detached or are hanging off the ductwork in your home. Asbestos dust can get into the air in basements and attics if the tape is loose. There are two ways to deal with it: either it can be encapsulated, or it can be removed and new duct tape applied.
Anytime You Need Us
Keeping your duct work in excellent condition will make sure the air quality in your home is safe and cooling efficiently. Anytime cares about the air quality in your home. We can inspect your system and make sure it is performing to its optimum condition as part of our maintenance program.
Give us a call today to find out how we can check for mold, determine if your ducts need cleaning, and make sure you aren’t losing efficiency with a leaking duct. That’s what we do at Anytime Heating, Cooling and Plumbing!
