Know Your Home: Fixing Drafts

December 27, 2018

Many people assume that drafts in their home are due to windows and doors that aren’t sealed or don’t line up properly. However, the most drafty rooms in your house aren’t always ones with large windows because another very common source of drafts are leaking HVAC ducts. As a result, while insulation around windows and doors may help reduce airflow in and out of your home, if your heating ducts are clogged with dirt, you may still struggle to keep certain areas of your home warm, which can also raise your energy costs.

HVAC ducts run throughout homes and deliver warm air from a heater. Over time, these ducts can accrue dirt, dust and other debris, even if you regularly change the air filters in your heating and cooling system. As the debris builds up, it can eventually lead to clogs that require your heating system to work harder to get warm air to all of the areas of your home. This frequently leads to an issue where you either have rooms that are not warm enough, even if the rest of your home is comfortable.

This issue can be resolved by having a cleaning service come in and remove the dirt and debris that have accumulated in your ducts. Cleaning services have special systems that can remove even the most built-in dirt from your ducts. In addition to helping even out your home’s temperature and reducing your heating bills, having a duct cleaning done can improve the air quality in your home. It can also reduce the amount of dust in your home since your ducts will no longer be blowing it out of your heating vents.