What You Should Tell Your Customers about Insulation This Heating Season
Most HVAC Pros tell their customers to make sure their attics, basements and drafty areas have sufficient insulation. But don’t forget about duct insulation.
Insulation, by nature, helps to keep outdoor air from getting inside the home, and keeps conditioned air from escaping. From fiberglass and rock wool, to blow-in, insulation comes in many product types.
There’s another use for insulation in a home: duct insulation. That’s what you should be telling your customers to check for, because it’s often overlooked, especially as homeowners turn up the heat.
Ductwork insulation is important because it ensures air traveling through the ductwork will stay at the desired temperature and won’t leak out. If air leaks, there’s unnecessary energy loss, which means the HVAC system will have to work even harder. An overworked system means higher energy bills and results in wasted energy. It doesn’t matter how energy efficient an air conditioner or furnace is if the air ducts don’t properly transport the cooled or heated air.
Here are some helpful tips to share with your customers to help them determine if they have air duct leaks. Common symptoms of leaky air ducts include:
- Rooms that are hard to heat or cool. Since air ducts direct air around your home, a room that’s not cooling or heating properly could mean that the air ducts aren’t transporting air properly to the room.
- Dusty rooms after turning on your air conditioner. Dust, dirt and other contaminants get sucked into your air ducts when there are leaks. So whenever you turn on your air conditioner, your leaky vents could be polluting your home..
- Higher utility bills. If your air ducts can’t transport air properly around your home, your heating and cooling system has to work longer, which requires more energy and more money.
Advise homeowners to get their duct insulation checked, to gain these benefits: :
- Lowers energy bills: During hot days, the cooled air inside ducts will pick up extra heat, forcing the air conditioner to work longer and raise your energy bills. Insulation slows down the movement of heat either from or into the ducts.
- Makes a house more comfortable: You don’t want your home to lose or gain heat in any spot if you can help it because it means there are unwanted hot or cold temperatures around the house. Insulating your ducts removes one of the key places where unwanted temperatures can infiltrate your home.
- Stops condensation on the ducts: The changes in temperature along ducts can lead to the development of condensation, which in turn can cause damage to the duct and leaks. Insulation helps to prevent this. This also prevents mold that likes to grow in damp areas.
- Lowers noise from the ducts: Ductwork can rattle around and make distracting popping sounds, even when it’s in the best condition. Insulation serves as a muffler for these sounds and creates a quieter home in general.
Want to help your customers this winter? Tell them about duct insulation. Checking for leaks and replacing worn insulation will not only help them save on their energy bill, but also reduce overworking their HVAC system.
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