Duct leaks

LEAKING DUCTS COST YOU MONEY & ENERGY
Imagine getting a heart transplant only to find out afterwards that you have clogged arteries. No doubt you would end up suing the heart surgeon and operating team for neglect.
Something like this commonly happens to home and building heating, ventilating and cooling (HVAC) systems all around the country. Great strides have been made jacking up the energy efficiency of HVAC furnaces and central air units - the heart of your system. Federal regulations require that the relative efficiencies of this equipment be measured and prominently labeled with a "Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio" (SEER) number. Just a few years ago the normal SEER rating was 8 or 9. Now many contractors sell units with SEERs of 12, 13 and higher. This theoretically saves the home owner hundreds of dollars each year in energy costs.
Unfortunately, despite paying thousands of dollars to replace antiquated HVAC units, many home owners are not deriving the full benefits of their advanced equipment due to damaged arteries, i.e., leaky duct systems. Too often they hook up high efficiency equipment to an energy-guzzling duct system. Studies have shown that when this happens, an HVAC unit rated SEER 12 will perform like one with an SEER of 6 or 8.
Ever wonder why some rooms have always been very hard to heat or cool? Or why your HVAC system costs so much to run? Or why your house always seems too dusty? Any and all of these problems may be caused by leaky ductwork.
The leaks may be tiny and subtle, occurring at collars, joints and the air handling interface. Careless construction crews sometimes damage the delicate ductwork during original installation, or maybe the home owner will do it inadvertently during spring cleaning. Over time joints come loose and duct tape falls apart. Even if it's a small hole, when the equipment's air handler is turned on, air pressure in the ducts increases 15 to 30 times. This forces air to escape like out of the narrow stem of a blown-up balloon. Also, wall and joist cavities often get used as return air ducts and plenums. These are never airtight.
Individually, none of these leaks may amount to much, but the cumulative effect is to dramatically reduce the operating efficiency of your HVAC system. One study done by the Florida Governor's Energy Office concluded - "It can be projected that duct leaks increase total cooling and heating energy use in Florida by about 33%." That's an amazing figure when you think about it. Imagine saving 33 cents out of every $1 you pay in energy bills. Over the course of a year that adds up to some real money!
Minor duct leaks can be detected and fixed by home owners themselves. While the system is running, feel along the ducts for hot or cold air escaping. When you locate minor leaks, you can plug them with silicone sealants made especially for duct systems.
Hardware stores also sell special aluminized tape that is more effective than duct tape for wrapping around duct joints and bends. Also be sure to keep the filters clean on any forced air system. They should be replaced no less than one a quarter for optimum performance.
While these do-it-yourself fixes will solve minor problems, more serious cases would benefit from an examination by a home heating and cooling professional. Sophisticated firms use what's known as an infiltrometer blower door test, using technology developed with government funding by Princeton University scientists. This examination usually takes less than an hour. The device fits snugly into a door opening. While your air handling unit is shut off, a fan pressurizes the house. The technician then uses chemical smoke to evaluate duct leakage from inside the home. The smoke should just linger in front of a register or grille. If it races in, it means there are duct leaks nearby. A thorough technician will be able to compute the combined amount of leakage by repeating the test after temporarily taping over registers and grilles.
Homes with duct leaks in attics and crawl spaces often will draw that hot, dusty, moldy air into conditioned space. This not only wastes energy, it can be a health hazard as well. This is why, in addition to testing for duct leakage, people living in older homes should consider having their ducts cleaned to remove years of accumulated dirt and grime that contribute to allergies and other ailments.

Humidification

How Dry You Are? How Moist Should You Be?

Relative humidity is more than relatively important when it comes to healthy
and comfortable indoor living. Plus, at the right levels, you can save
money on your fuel bill.

Too much humidity is a bad thing, right? After all, it creates and promotes
an environment where bacteria, mold, various fungi and dust mites not only
grow, but flourish!

But hang on a sec...doesn't dry air cause it's own fair share of problems?
You bet. In fact, excessively dry indoor air can weaken your immune system
from harmful viruses and respiratory ailments.

The fact is, dry air and damp air both have their fair share of problems.
So what's the answer? A whole-house, combined humidification and
dehumidification system where you can control and maintain the proper levels
of relative humidity, which most experts agree are between 40%-55%.

Before going any further, let's define the very term this article is all
about:

"Relative Humidity" is the moisture content in the air as a percentage of
the total
amount of moisture air can actually hold. So, at a relative humidity of
40%,
air is holding 40% of its full potential.

With a whole-house humidifier from Aux Mechanical, you can maintain ideal
levels of humidity all year long. In the process, you can save 5% or more
on your annual fuel bill. More importantly, you'll add immeasurably to your
family's indoor comfort while helping to prevent and control problems with
asthma, allergies, colds and flus, and more.

Where do the energy savings come from? Cold air is dry, and in dry air,
moisture evaporates from your skin. That, in turn, tends to cool you off.
So, by setting the thermostat at 69° with a relative humidity of 35%, you'll
feel just as warm as you would in 72° air with 19% relative humidity.

Bottom line, you want to dehumidify your home in warm weather, and add
humidity when it's cold. In fact, act now, and save $100 on a whole-house
humidification system from Aux Mechanical.

Whole-House Humidification

Save $100...

...on a fully installed whole-house humidification/dehumidification system.
This offer may not be combined with any other discount or promotion.

* You hear a lot of talk about indoor humidity levels...when it's too
much, and when it's not enough. Learn the facts, and what you can do to
improve your family's year-round indoor comfort.

Pj Smitherman
Operations Manager
Aux Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electrical

If you want something you've never had, you'll have to do something you've
never done. "Dave Ramsey"

Introducing the new www.auxphce.com

Emergency Procedures

When Disaster Strikes, Here's How to Strike Back.

By observing a few simple emergency shut-off procedures, you can help
protect your and your family during a natural disaster.

When Mother Nature comes calling with anything other than sweet sunshine and
balmy temperatures, you have cause for concern. Especially when "she"
decides to send the extreme stuff, like an earthquake, hurricane, tornado,
and other such pleasantries.

So what's a homeowner to do? Well, as your preferred plumbing resource, Aux
Mechanical would like to offer a few ideas on how, when and why to turn off
your main water and power supplies.

Water Shut-Off Procedures

Following a natural disaster, conduct a visual inspection for leaks in your
various plumbing systems. Also, check your water supply lines by turning
water faucets on and off. If the cold water stops running, runs very slowly
after a few seconds, or is dirty, you most likely have a leak.

In that event, you'll want to shut off your main water supply. There are
two basic means:

* Turn off the water where it enters the house...in many homes,
there's a valve just below your main outdoor faucet;
* Or, you can shut down your water supply by turning the valve
attached to your water meter.

Water valves either have round or lever-type handles. With a lever, you
only have to make a one-quarter turn to shut off your water. Round handles
are typically harder to turn, so you may have to give it a few tries. To
turn off your water, turn the handle clockwise. And if you don't have a
main water shut off, you should have one installed.

Power Shut-Off Procedures

In the immediate aftermath of a major disaster, do not turn lights on or off
or use matches if you have gas heat! Instead, use flashlights to check for
gas leaks to prevent an explosion or fire. If you do hear or smell a leak,
shut off your gas valve and immediately open your doors and windows to vent
the accumulated gas.

Also, if you hear sparking sounds or see or smell smoke, then you need to
turn off your electrical power. If your house has fuses, you'll find a
knife switch or pull-out fuse that should be marked "Main." If you have a
circuit breaker, turn off the small breakers first, and then the "Main"
breaker. But whatever you do, never remove the metal cover.
Want to Know More?

For more information on how to protect your home following a natural
disaster, call us today. Also, we invite you to redeem the attached coupon
today for a $50 savings on a complete inspection of all your plumbing
fixtures and systems.

Pj Smitherman
Operations Manager
Aux Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electrical

If you want something you've never had, you'll have to do something you've
never done. "Dave Ramsey"

Introducing the new www.auxphce.com