Often times, we are engrossed with mounting maintenance of our homes. From AC repairs to pool maintenance, it can be quite the chore to maintain another part of your home, your air conditioning ducts in your attic and between your walls. This is often overlooked and not seen as an essential item to check… until disaster strikes. In this article, we will go over some essential items to look for and signs for trouble. It is best to catch them before it is too late.

Although duct inspections and replacements are often and one of our expertise, Fix it Easy personnel came across quite an interesting case 2 weeks ago in a family’s Rosenberg home. The gentleman called Fix it Easy on a Friday evening and was at his wit’s ends with this moisture issue he was having in his home. It was never ending and the problem was causing countless points of moisture and humidity in his home – upstairs and downstairs. Both AC units in his home were affected and his family was suffering the consequences. What had happened was that the original installer of the duct and plenum box did not seal the connections and make sure it was a air tight seal when they originally installed it 10 years ago. Keep in mind, this home was not very old, only about 10 years old. Often times, many builders use workers and so called experts who are not licensed and not qualified in HVAC work. Immediately upon inspecting the home’s duct and AC systems, it was found that the system was leaking excessive amounts of air into the attic causing a huge imbalance in temperatures and causing a lot of moisture. The scary part is what comes next when too much moisture accumulates and it is not hard to assume. It is most people’s biggest fear when it comes to home maintenance… MOLD!

The job was simple and straightforward… we needed to replace the ENTIRE duct system and all the supply boxes throughout the home. Keep in mind, this is a 2 story home… It is not the easiest task and most companies will shy away from this work. Jobs like this often including cutting sheetrock and can become a bit messy. A lot of prep work went into this and a lot of effort in cleaning after ourselves.

The job took approximately 2 days to complete. It is about a day per story of home to complete on most average sized homes. Luckily, we have experienced staff who were able to do this work swiftly and efficiently. Immediately after the job was complete, we noticed improved air flow in the home, a more powerful air jet coming through the system, and no more moisture build up on the plenums in the attic.

Things to look out for when inspecting your ducts and signs for trouble. These are the easy signs to detect:

  • Moisture around your air vents and signs of mold
  • Mold buildup around your air vents
  • A “sweaty” feeling in the home. This can be a sign of high humidity. We recommend a humidity monitor in your home.
  • If you look in your attic at your ducts, you want to check that your HVAC foil tape in your attic around your air supply plenum is properly sealed. You do NOT want to feel any moisture.
  • Check your ducts for signs of moisture. Due to extreme moisture in the attic, the actual air ducts on this home we visited were worn due to moisture in the attic and ducts.

The easiest way to remedy this is to change the ducts that are affected with moisture if they are at a point of no return. A qualified duct inspector will be able to see if it is just one duct affected or multiple throughout the home. Other qualifying factors include the age of your home and maintenance history. Just like anything, if you take care of it, it will take care of you.