Is your air conditioner or heating unit blowing into the attic ?

Aug 2008
15
Posted In:  energy saving tips

imagebrowser imageMany homes have developed leaks in the ductwork, causing your heated or cooled air to blow into the attic. Duct leakage can be as high as 25 percent, without any obvious signs. Ducts either come loose and separate at connection points, or they can develop holes and leaks in the seam areas. 

Despite the name, however, don't use duct tape. Duct tape gets very dry in hot attic conditions and tends to deteriorate. A better solution is either foil adhesive tape, or a substance called mastic that you apply with a paintbrush.

The foil adhesive tape is pretty much what it sounds like...a roll of aluminum foil with a very strong adhesive backing on it.  A picture of several rolls is shown to the right.

Also pictured are containers of mastic, as well as a section of duct that has been repaired with the mastic paste.  The mastic is available in a caulk-style tube, or in bulk quantities in a bucket.

 

Related Tips

Save money on the air conditioning portion of your electric bill Air conditioning is the single biggest driver of high electric bills in warmer areas...
Cutting Down on Summer Air Conditioning Costs Most of us like to avoid the heat of summer - or at least try and find a way to compensate for it...
Tips To Reduce Home Heating Costs People living in regions that experience cold weather in the winter are preparing for the frigid months ahead...
imagebrowser image
lower your heating and air conditioning bill with incense ? An incense stick is a great tool to find leaks around doors and windows...
small_water_heater_timer.gif
Install a timer on electric water heaters and save money If you have an electric water heater, the U.S Department of Energy estimates that you can save 5-12 percent of your energy costs by installing a timer that turns it off when you aren't using hot water...

 

New Money Saving Tips

Envelope Power - Get Your Finances in Order Now If you want to meet your financial goals, making a budget and sticking to it is a necessity. Even though you know you need a budget, knowing how to get started can be overwhelming...
Search Tips for Better Deals When shopping on Amazon or just Googling a product, there are unexpected ways to find better deals. Let's start with the basics and move on to some tips and tweaks to your product searches to help you find the best deal every time...
6 Tax Credits Small Business Owners Often Miss High tax bills are a common lament of small business owners. Yet, there are a number of tax credits that can help off-set that obligation that many small business owners never claim...
Can Shopping Online Lower Your Grocery Bill? With the increasing availability of products on the Internet, many money-savvy consumers are turning to buying their household’s groceries online instead of using a supermarket...

Comments

Re: Is your air conditioner or heating unit blowing into the ...

Submitted by Zoey on Sat, 08/29/2009 - 13:52.
Zoey's picture

The thought of crawling under the house to inspect the ductwork makes my skin crawl. Is it expensive to get that inspected? Who would do something like that?

Re: Is your air conditioner or heating unit blowing into the ...

Submitted by cheapncheerful on Thu, 12/25/2008 - 22:45.
cheapncheerful's picture

When animals get in amongst it too they can wreck it. My niece had a cat get under her house and it destroyed the ductwork. It cost her hundreds to get parts replaced or repaired.