Benefits of Duct Sealing
A duct system that is well-designed and properly sealed can make your home more comfortable, energy efficient, and safer.
Comfort
Sealing and insulating ducts can help with common comfort problems, such as rooms that are too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.
Indoor Air Quality
Fumes from household and garden chemicals, insulation particles, and dust can enter your duct system, aggravating asthma and allergy problems. Sealing ducts can help improve indoor air quality by reducing the risk of pollutants entering ducts and circulating through your home.
Safety
During normal operation, gas appliances such as water heaters, clothes dryers, and furnaces release combustion gases (like carbon monoxide) through their ventilation systems. Leaky ductwork in your heating and cooling system may cause “backdrafting,” where these gases are drawn back into the living space, rather than expelled to the outdoors. Sealing leaks can minimize this risk.
Save Money
Leaky ducts can reduce heating and cooling system efficiency by as much as 20 percent. Sealing and insulating ducts increases efficiency, lowers your energy bills, and can often pay for itself in energy savings. Plus, if you’re planning to install new heating and cooling equipment, a well-designed and sealed duct system may allow you to downsize to a smaller, less costly heating and cooling system that will provide better dehumidification.
What is SEER rating for HVAC?
In the heating and cooling industry, SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. A SEER rating is the ratio developed when the cooling output of the system over an average cooling season is divided by the total energy used. More simply, SEER is representative of how much energy and money the unit requires to operate effectively over a single year.A SEER ratio is determined over the course of a full cooling season.
Why SEER rating matters?
Air conditioning units built 10 to 15 years ago typically have a SEER rating between eight and 10.
Replacing a unit that’s a decade or more old could save as much as 20 to 40 percent on your energy costs each year. New energy standards established by the U.S. Department of Energy now require air conditioners to achieve a minimum SEER rating of 13, and most units fall within a 13 to 21 SEER rating. Heating and Cooling air conditioners range from 14.5 up to 22 SEER. The many different models operate at different efficiency levels and cover a variety of price points. When you consider a new HVAC system for your home, don’t shy away from units with a 13 or 14 SEER. There are many factors, including your current ductwork and home insulation, that will also affect the unit’s performance. Even with a high SEER rating, it’s still helpful to use other energy saving tips for the summer season. Heat pumps and packaged systems also use the SEER rating scale to showcase the maximum level of energy efficiency the unit can achieve. An Energy Star qualified heat pump with a 14 SEER rating is a good starting point to discover which unit can help create a desirable environment for your home.
Best SEER for your home.
The best SEER rating for your home HVAC system will be different than that for a homeowner in a different region of the country. A SEER rating over 13 can create a comfortable indoor environment for your family, but you’ll also want to consider the size of your home, quality of insulation, and current ductwork. Each of these variables means replacing an AC unit is not a DIY job. A trained professional can help you determine the best model for your home and explain the tax credits and manufacturer’s rebates that can help a high-SEER system fit into your budget.
