Learning About Commercial Air Conditioning Units

Learning About Commercial Air Conditioning Units

Duct Sealing As Part Of AC Repair

Floyd Carroll

A damaged or under-performing AC unit can dramatically increase your cooling costs. On the other hand, your air conditioning unit is just one component of your AC system. You can have an AC system that is running at its optimum level and still not have a system that is running at its peak level. For example, leaky ducts can prevent your AC system from reaching full efficiency. Luckily, you should be able to diagnose and repair leaky ducts on your own. 

Diagnosing Leaky Ducts

Some duct systems will run through an attic or crawlspace so that they don't rob space from the inside of a home. If you have exposed ducts in your attic or crawlspace, you can find leaks in the following way:

  1. Turn your thermostat to the "fan" position.
  2. Access your ducts and then light a stick of incense. 
  3. Slowly, run the incense along the joints in your duct system. 
  4. Use a permanent marker to mark any place where air leaking from the ducts disturbs the incense smoke. 
  5. Continue in this way until you have inspected the full length of your ducts. 
  6. Turn your thermostat back to "run."

Repairing Leaky Ducts

To seal the leaks in your ducts, use the following steps:

  1. Turn your thermostat to the "off" position. 
  2. Grab a tub of duct mastic and a brush.
  3. Access your ducts. 
  4. Use the paintbrush to paint a thick layer of mastic over all the marks you made. It is better to over apply than under apply. 
  5. Give the mastic time to cure before you turn your system back on. 
  6. Turn the thermostat back to the "run" position.

When to Call for Reinforcements

While you can save yourself money by sealing ducts on your own, you may not be able to access all of your ducts. If you have any ducts that run inside the sheetrock in your home, then you will have to call a professional to use a scope to inspect the ducts and to make repairs. 

Leaky ducts can decrease your overall system efficiency by up to 40%. Thus, you could have an AC unit that is highly efficient and still have a low overall efficiency. If sealing leaky ducts illustrates anything, it shows that it pays to be thorough in your approach to making repairs. Whether you can repair your ducts on your own, or you have to call for help, you will save more money than you spend when you repair leaky ducts. 

For more information, contact Augusta Mechanical Heating & Air Conditioning or a similar company.


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Learning About Commercial Air Conditioning Units

Hello, my name is Venice. Welcome to my site about commercial air conditioning systems. I want to cover all of the different types of commercial air conditioners you can use for your business. My site will talk about the installation points for these systems. Other topics covered by my site include maintenance, repairs and operation tips and techniques. The various tools required for upkeep will be covered in detail. I hope you can use the information on my site to select and maintenance your commercial air conditioner. Thank you for coming to visit my site. I invite you to come back whenever you need to learn more.