Here’s what poor ductwork is doing to your air quality
When it comes to home comfort, most of us are worried about our HVAC system producing the necessary temperatures that keep us comfortable. However, did you know that the ductwork of your home may have serious implications for the air quality, too? Many people don’t know this, but poor ductwork can actually contribute to the bad air quality within the home. This can also lead to respiratory problems, allergic reactions, and much more. With this in mind, we’ve put together some information on poor ductwork and how it affects air quality at your Marine, IL home or business.
What is the ductwork?
Simply put, the ductwork is what distributes the air throughout the different rooms of your home (if you have central AC). Also known as air ducts, these are connected back to the blower of your furnace or air conditioner, in which the correct temperature of the air is produced for heating or cooling your home. Ductwork is prone to failure and should be replaced and repaired throughout the lifespan of your HVAC system.
How does it hurt air quality?
Poor ductwork can actually hurt air quality in more ways than one. Read on for details about how this problem affects your air quality and what you can do to stop it!
- Leaking Ducts – When air ducts leak, it’s not just air that gets out. Actually, it pulls other stuff in such as dirt, hair, and other debris that then gets distributed throughout your home and breathed in by those inside of it. This can lead to respiratory problems and increased allergies.
- Unbalanced Ductwork – This is a problem that many homeowners face. When the ductwork of your home runs to unconditioned parts of the house, it can increase infiltration, which has adverse effects on the air quality in your home.
- Backdrafting – Leaking air ducts can also lead to another problem, back-drafting. This happens when the exhaust from your system cannot make it out of the house, reversing the flow and letting carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide flow into your home.
- Humidity Control – If you have humidity control on your system, leaking ductwork can affect the performance of that system, leaving you with bone-dry air in the winter and humid air during the summertime.
What can I do about it?
If you’re having air duct problems, there are only a few steps that you can take to solve this problem. First, you should have already called a trained HVAC professional to diagnose the problem. Next is repairing or replacing your air ducts. If the holes and leakages are minor, you may be able to simply repair them. However, if they’re major, you’ll have to replace the section of your ductwork, which can be expensive.
