5 Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Ducts

If you’ve noticed that your home is dustier than normal, your energy bills have spiked or that your home has uneven temperatures throughout, you may need to replace your ducts.

According to EnergyStar, leaking or worn-out ducts can lose up to 25-30% of your conditioned or heated air, which can significantly increase your energy bills and put a strain on your HVAC system. How do you know whether or not you need to replace your ducts?

Five key signs that you may need to replace your ducts include:

• Your ducts are 15+ years old
• You have unusually high energy bills
• Your home has uneven temperatures
• Your indoor air quality has decreased
• Your HVAC system is noisier than usual

In this blog, we’ll go into further detail about how the above signs indicate that you might need to replace your ducts.

Rather have an HVAC professional come out ASAP and inspect your ductwork?

Contact Climate Design. We’ll inspect your ductwork and give you honest recommendations for whether or not you need to replace the ducts.

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Sign #1: Your ducts are 15+ years old

Ductwork that is older than 15 years is typically ridden with holes from wear-and-tear over time.

As we mentioned above, damaged ductwork can lead to issues like increased energy bills or uneven temperatures, and depending on how extensive the damage is, could even result in a pest infestation or collapsed ductwork.

If your ducts are around 15 years old, it’s worth contacting an HVAC contractor to check the condition of the ductwork to see if it should be replaced.

Usually, HVAC contractors will recommend that you replace ductwork older than 15 years instead of just sealing any holes. Why? Typically, ductwork that is 15+ years old is not only unstable, but is also typically made out of material that isn’t as safe as current duct materials. Upgrading your ductwork—even if you don’t need to right now—is a great option for increasing your home’s air quality and ensuring more efficient HVAC operation for years to come.

Sign #2: You have unusually high energy bills

If your energy bills have been steadily increasing despite your energy usage staying the same, you could be losing conditioned or heated air to duct leaks and holes.

If your ducts are leaking, your HVAC system has to strain to reach the temperature you’ve set on your thermostat because conditioned or heated air keeps escaping before it makes its way into your home. The more strained your HVAC system is, the more energy it consumes, increasing your energy bills.

To make sure you’re not paying more than you need to, you should contact an HVAC contractor to inspect your ducts. Small duct leaks can be easily sealed. Bigger duct problems will require duct replacement. Usually, you’re better off replacing your ductwork with a more efficient layout, which will help decrease your energy bills in the long run.

Sign #3: Your home has uneven temperatures

If some rooms in your home tend to be cooler or warmer than the rest of your home, you might have leaky or unbalanced ducts. When ducts are unbalanced, it means they are too large or too small for your HVAC system.

If this is the case, an HVAC contractor will design a new ductwork system layout for you and replace your current ducts with properly balanced ductwork.

Sign #4: Your indoor air quality has decreased

If your home is dustier than usual, you could have holes in your ductwork.

When your ductwork has gaps or holes, contaminants (e.g. dust, dirt, pollen, etc.) can enter your ductwork and circulate throughout your home. This can create a dirty/dusty home environment and can also aggravate respiratory conditions like allergies or asthma.

If you suspect that your home is dustier than normal, it’s a good idea to contact an HVAC contractor to come inspect your ductwork. If your ductwork is unbalanced with leaks that cannot be repaired, replacing your ductwork is critical to improving your indoor air quality and the health of your household.

Sign #5: Your HVAC system is noisier than usual

An HVAC system creates some normal background noise. However, the system shouldn’t be making alarmingly loud rattling or vibrating noises.

If your system is creating loud noises, there could be holes in your ductwork that allow air to whistle through leaks in the ducts. Or your ductwork may be undersized for your HVAC system, causing it to work harder than normal. It’s best to contact an HVAC contractor to come and inspect the ductwork as soon as possible. If the ducts are not properly sized for your home, they should be replaced. The contractor will ensure that your new ductwork is sized properly for your home.

Want to get your ducts checked? Contact Climate Design

We care about your customer experience at Climate Design. From easy scheduling options to flexible financing options, we want you to have the best experience when you work with us. You can get ductwork service even during weeknights and weekends.

Schedule with us today!