Flexible ductwork has long been a topic of conversation and debate within the home energy industry. There are countless instances in which homeowners and installers, like us, see huge problems with flexible ductwork and the way it has been installed or maintained. There are some who have even argued that flexible ductwork should be banned altogether. Even the Air Diffusion Council (ADC), who are big proponents of this material, admit that problems arising from poor flexible ductwork are far too common.
At BelRed, we always assess ductwork as part of our comprehensive home energy audits, which many times means examining this flexible type of ductwork. One common problem we in this area is that the flexible ductwork is too long or has too much of a sag. Problems like these can have a hugely negative impact on the energy efficiency, comfort and indoor air quality of a home. They can lead to poor or blocked airflow and result in a lot of wasted energy. Here is an example of what a sagging flex duct might look like:
Flex ducts are often used to save money on ductwork systems. Especially in larger systems, all metal ducts can be extremely expensive. Many associate costs savings with the installation of flexible ductwork as well. Unfortunately, these quick installations are often the root of the problems with flex ducts. In the long run, spending a little more during installation to have it done right can save a lot more money than the cost savings of a quick installation or poor maintenance.
Luckily, when we see problems like these in our customers’ homes, we have staff who have all been specifically trained to deal with these types of flexible ductwork problems. We have a comprehensive training tool that all energy auditors and installers complete prior to dealing with ductwork. There are many important steps to installing and repairing this type of duct, which is why we stress the importance of this knowledge to all of our employees.
When installed and maintained properly, flexible ductwork can be an effective and cost-efficient complement to the metal ductwork in a home. If you have flexible ductwork in your home and you have noticed a problem in the past, please reach out and let us help. You may be throwing away more energy and money than you know. Plus, the indoor air quality of your home could be taking a big hit if there are leaks or blocks in this type of ductwork. We offer thorough duct renovation and repair as part of our home energy services and we ensure that all ductwork is properly sized and installed for your specific home to ensure proper operation for life.
