Climate Masters Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Ductwork’

Have you noticed unusual, musty smells coming from the vents in your house? Has the strength of the airflow from the vents dropped? Are your recent utility bills higher than you expected? Does it seem like more dust than usual is clogging up the corners of rooms?

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” then you may have air leaks in your home’s ventilation system. To fix this problem, leave the duct tape in the drawer and call on duct sealing specialists to locate all the leaks and seal them.

Duct sealing is important for maintaining comfort and to prevent a decline in your home’s indoor air quality. It is also a service that is beneficial for your HVAC system, as we will explain below. For experienced technicians to attend to your damaged ductwork in St. Augustine, FL and the rest of St. Johns County, call Climate Masters today. We offer multiple services to take care of your ducts, including sealing, repair, replacement, and cleaning.

The ways that duct sealing is good for your HVAC system

The most important reason you need to have leaks in your ductwork sealed up is that they will cause a drop in the air pressure inside the ducts. Ventilation systems are supposed to retain an airtight seal along their length to keep air pressure from dropping; if this seal is broken, it will force the air conditioning or heating system to work harder to compensate for the loss. An overworked HVAC system will 1) cost more to run, and 2) wear down faster, resulting in an early replacement.

Because gaps in ducts will usually open on dusty areas of a home (such as spaces between walls), they often permit large amounts of contamination into the ventilation system. This dust, dirt, and other debris will not only get blown into the living spaces of a house, lowering indoor air quality, they will also end up clogging the air filter of the HVAC system and even entering the cabinet itself. A clogged air filter will severely hamper an air conditioner or heater’s performance. If this debris should enter the cabinet, it can cause damage to the components, leading to repair needs.

Call for professional duct sealers

Duct sealing requires special equipment to locate the air leaks and then seal them. Specialists in ductwork repair will use mastic sealant or metallic tapes to close up all the holes and gaps they find inside ducts to restore their integrity.

When you call Climate Masters to seal your ductwork in St. Augustine, FL, you not only receive high quality work, you may also qualify for rebates available through Florida Power & Light Company.

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Your ductwork, although hidden from your sight over most of its length, is a crucial part of the comfort you receive from your HVAC system. Unless you have a ductless system in your home, your air conditioner requires ducts to work, and most likely your heater does as well. If you want to get the most comfort from your AC and heater, you need to have ducts free from serious problems.

When you need duct repairs or cleaning, contact Climate Masters, where we offer comprehensive duct cleaning services.

We will help you keep good care of your ductwork in St. Augustine, FL.

Common causes of ductwork problems:

• Corrosion: Corrosion occurs because of metal comes into contact with air and water. Unfortunately, the wet Florida climate means that moisture can enter ductwork and start the spread of corrosion. The biggest threat from corrosion is that it eats away and the metal of the ducts and causes it to begin to flake apart, leading to breaks. Breaks will cause an increase in dust, as well as a drop in air pressure that will have a large negative impact on your heater and air conditioner.
• Microbacteria: Another common problem in Florida’s climate is moisture that leads to the growth of molds, fungus, and other bacteria on the inside of ductwork. These biological pollutants can weaken the ducts, and also pose a threat to your indoor air quality. You will need professionals to use mold remediation techniques, such as UV germicidal lights, to eliminate such infestations.
• Other construction work/amateur repairs: Ducts often receive damage during construction work unrelated to the ductwork. Remodeling and whole-house rewiring are just two home improvement projects that can accidentally lead to your ducts developing breaks. In a similar way, if you rely on amateur repairs for your ductwork, or you attempt the repairs yourself, you can end up with ducts that are misaligned or poorly connected.

Call ductwork professionals

Your ducts are both difficult to access and arduous to clean and repair. It requires trained duct specialists to handle the task of sealing cracks (no, duct tape won’t do the job) and getting out deeply ingrained dirt, corrosion, and bacterial pollutants.

If you think you have problems with your ducts, get on the phone right away and contact Climate Masters. We will inspect your ductwork and zero in on what issues need to be addressed. Whether you need replacement duct installation, UV germicidal lights, or just a cleaning, Climate Masters can give your ductwork in St. Augustine the care it needs. Make sure to ask us about the FPL (Florida Power & Lighting Company) rebate that you may qualify for.

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Posted in Indoor Air Quality | Comments Off on What Causes Duct Problems?

We rarely think about the ducts in our home since they’re so often out of sight, but their importance cannot be underestimated. For homes in St. Augustine, ductwork is as integral a part as the plumbing or electrical wiring, providing a hidden “passageway” for conditioned air from your HVAC unit to reach every corner of your home. Ducts require periodic cleaning, and must be repaired when fissures or leaks develop, but without them, our heating and air conditioning systems couldn’t do their job.

Here are some fun facts about ductwork that you may not have considered before.

• Ductwork comes in different types of materials. Traditional ducts are made of galvanized steel, while newer ones are made of flexible plastic “flex duct” and/or rigid ductboard surrounded by foil.
• Ductwork is vulnerable to extremes of heat and cold. If left uninsulated in a warm areas or in a spot with a lot of sunshine, the air inside can be warmed: reducing the effectiveness of your air conditioning system. The same principle applies to ducts in cold parts of the house when attempting to heat your home. This is why you should always place your ductwork in conditioned space within your home and/or use insulation to keep the temperature inside the ducts constant.
• Leaks can sometimes spring up in the duct system because of external damage, wear and tear along the fittings, or pressure exerted when the HVAC system is being used. The leaks can pull dust and debris in from outside the HVAC system, as well as costing your efficiency and making it harder to condition the air in your home.
• Cleaning dirty duct systems can improve the quality of your air, as well as giving a technician a chance to examine the ducts for leaks and schedule a time to seal them.

Beyond fun facts about ductwork, the experts at Climate Masters can handle St. Augustine ductwork services of all varieties. From repairing leaks to cleaning ducts, we help you keep them in ship shape, allowing you to make the most out of your HVAC system. Call us today and let us show you what our trained professionals can do for you.

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In St. Augustine, ductwork needs to withstand the heat and humidity that comes with life in Florida. A good air conditioning system is the best line of defense against our sweltering summers and proper ductwork is ideal to getting the cool air through your home. St. Augustine is an older city, which means that a lot of houses have older ductwork (or even no ductwork at all). Ductwork can be made of multiple different types of material, depending both on the age of your home and the amount spent during its original construction.

What type of ductwork is right for your home? That depends on certain specifics.

Here’s a rundown of the most common types of ducts currently in use.

• Metal. Metal ducts are usually made of galvanized steel, or in some cases aluminum. Metal ducts are sometimes wrapped in insulation to help maintain the temperature of the air inside of them. They can be coated with zinc to avoid mold – a significant consideration in our sultry Florida weather – and help with the cleaning process. Metal ducts are common in older homes and tend to be more expensive than flex ducting. The upside is that they are less prone to energy loss, especially if they are properly insulated and/or located in a conditioned part of the home.
• Flex duct. Flex duct is a round, flexible plastic material, covered by insulation and usually a thin layer or reflective material. They’re easy to install and usually quite inexpensive, though homeowners ten to pay the price in a loss of efficiency. They should also be installed by a professional, since incorrect installation leaves them prone to leaks and a loss of efficiency.
• Duct board. Duct board is quite rigid and usually lined with fiberglass. That makes them tougher to set up in houses that require a lot of twists and turns from their ductwork. On the other hand, they’re often resistant to contaminants such as dust and micro-bacterial growth. They also tend to hold energy fairly well, making your system reasonably efficient.

As always, the right type of ductwork for your home varies depending on your house and individual circumstances. The experts at Climate Masters possess the knowledge and the experience to help you make an informed choice. We serve all of St. Augustine; ductwork and HVAC services are our specialty.

Do you need to hire a St. Augustine ductwork specialist? Call us today to set up an appointment.

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Whether you’re in the market for a new forced-air distribution system, or feel as though you need to upgrade your ductwork, you need to know what duct options you have at your disposal. Depending on what your existing duct layout is, you have a wide range of options to select from. But the most important aspect to keep in mind is finding the right contractor. Ductwork installation or replacement is not something that can be done by anyone else other than a professional. When you’re ready to get started on selecting what type of ductwork you need for your furnace, heat pump, or central air, contact Climate Masters. We can ensure that all of your ductwork services in St. Augustine are taken care of. Call us today.

There are various types of ductwork available on the residential market so that finding one that works for your home and budget is not hard. There are two basic options to consider: rigid sheet metal ducts and flexible ducts.

• Sheet metal. If you find that you have the room for it and want a long-lasting solution installed in your home, then sheet metal ductwork is the way to go. It is highly effective, efficient and durable. It is important to find a quality contractor who can ensure that your ducts are adequately sized to match your AC or heater. If this is not completely correctly, then you may find that you have all sorts of static pressure problems as well as airflow issues that can lead to high energy costs and poor performance.
• Flexible ducts. Another option that has become more popular in recent years is flexible ductwork. When insulated, corrugated plastic can be highly effective at distributing air. There may be parts of your home that do not easily accommodate rigid sheet metal ductwork, and which may be better served by flexible ducts.

Make sure that your ductwork installation or replacement is taken care of by a professional for excellent performance and energy efficiency from your heating and cooling system.

Call Climate Masters today for excellent ductwork services throughout the St. Augustine area.

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