The ductwork in your home serves as a distribution system for your HVAC unit, carrying cool air in the summer and warm air in the winter to all corners of the household. In towns like Boerne TX, ductwork is fairly common: a flexible component in a centralized heating and cooling system. Over time, ductwork can spring leaks, created by external damage, fissures in fittings between individual lengths of duct, and similar problem spots. Leaking ducts rob your HVAC unit of efficiency, raising costs and allowing external contaminants like dust and dirt to creep in. Here’s how to tell if your ductwork is leaking, allowing you to call in a qualified technician to address it.

The most obvious sign is a whistling or similar noise that picks up any time you turn on your HVAC system. That’s the sound of air entering or leaving the system via the leaks. It doesn’t happen in every case, but when it does – if you detect a new, unusual sound whenever you operate your HVAC system – it may mean you leak.

Subtle clues appear whenever you check your monthly energy bill, or if you notice a drop in your indoor air quality. Leaks in the duct system allow conditioned air to escape when it should be helping to heat or cool your home, forcing your HVAC system to work harder to do its job. That translates into higher monthly bills for your household. And just as good-conditioned air can escape through the leak, dust, and other contaminants can enter into the ducts through the leak. It then spreads throughout your house via the ducts, increasing irritation in your nose and throat and making dusting duties harder. Pay close attention to your bills and watch the overall health of your family to detect signs of leaky ducts.

If you know how to tell if your ductwork is leaking and suspect you have a fissure somewhere in your system, contact Cowboys Air Conditioning & Heating to help. We offer Boerne, TX ductwork services, and will work tirelessly to locate and seal the leak for you. Contact us today to set up an appointment.

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