With summer progressing right along, there’s no denying that hotter temperatures are here to stay, at least for the next couple of months. So of course, you want to make sure that your cooling system is ready, by providing it with the right services (like maintenance). Turning up your air conditioner each year—or every 6 months if you have a heat pump system—with the help of our trained technicians, is really the only way to ensure it will function without any issues this summer, and that it won’t cost more to operate than it should.
There’s much more to keeping your cooling system operating as efficiently as possible, though. Maintenance is essential, but it’s not the end all. It helps spot AC problems before they become big emergencies… but what if your AC problem isn’t a problem with the system itself?
One of the biggest energy thieves you might face over the course of your homeownership is actually leaking ductwork.
The Wrong Way to Assess Your Ducts
Now, ductwork really isn’t something you can inspect on your own. After all, yours is mostly hidden behind walls and up in your attic. We don’t expect you to inspect it on your own though, or expect that you’ll know what to look for. But since breached ductwork can account for about 20-30% of air loss that you’re paying for, we do advise you contact our team to take a look if you suspect damaged ducts!
Homeowners will sometimes forgo this advice in favor of trying to find the problem on their own and resolving it with duct tape. Unfortunately, however, duct tape is not appropriately named. It’s great for things like closing boxes and temporarily holding objects in place, but it’s not actually an adequate solution for sealing your ducts.
“Well, Why Is It Called Duct Tape, Then?”
When in reference to the consumer-grade tape available in any hardware or craft store, duct tape refers to the cloth-backed adhesive first developed around the time of the first Sword War. Its purpose back then was to quickly seal ammo boxes up—and it was actually called duck tape.
There are two possible reasons for this. It was either called duck tape due to its duck-cloth backing or because its water-resistant features reminded people of how water washed off of a duck’s oiled back.
Later, in the 1950s, duck became duct, and it is believed this was due to the mistaken assumption that it would work on HVAC ductwork as a way to repair and seal it. And sure… this works… but only temporarily. Tests repeatedly have shown that this is not a permanent solution since standard store-bought duct tape responds poorly to heat and temperature fluctuations, which is common in ductwork! The adhesive of the duct tape becomes brittle quickly, and the tape can start peeling off within a month.
Choose a Pro over the DIY Option
There’s good news in all of this—just because you do have ductwork damage doesn’t necessarily mean you need them replaced. Professional duct sealing services are often all that’s needed—this involves the use of a special mastic and/or metallic tap that’s far stronger than duct tape because it is designed for this purpose.
In hiring a pro for this kind of work, you can rest assured that we’ll accurately pinpoint the exact location(s) of your air leaks to ensure the problem is thoroughly remedied.
When you need reliable AC repair in Yukon, OK, look no further than Comfort Incorporated! Contact us today.
