Leaky Ductwork Makes High-Efficiency Furnaces Inefficient
You just bought the latest, most efficient heating and cooling system on the market. It's much more quiet than that rackety old energy hog you once called a furnace. Plus, the HVAC contractor that sold it to you promised it would work better and save you a lot of money on your monthly utility bills.
What Does "High-Efficiency" Really Mean?
The annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) is a thermal energy measure for combustion appliances such as furnaces, boilers, and water heaters. AFUE measures, for example, the percentage of energy a furnace converts to heat. Modern furnaces are often 95% efficient or higher, meaning that 95% or more of the energy coming to the furnace is converted into heat. However, the heated air must travel through ductwork before it reaches its destination.
One of the major sources of energy loss in most homes is leaky ductwork. Leaks often occur at the seams or joints where the sheet metal sections join together.
As much as 40% of an HVAC system's energy consumption can be wasted due to faulty or leaky ducts. A high-efficiency system won't make much of a difference when you're losing 40% of the conditioned air that you already paid to heat or cool. And your utility bills will tell you as much.
Comfort and Energy Efficiency at Home
Leaky supply ducts cool your attic or heat your crawl space before the conditioned air ever makes it to your living room. Leaky return ducts pull hot attic air or musty crawl space air into your system. Either way, your comfort is compromised.
Dr. Energy Saver St. Louis seals air ducts for maximized energy efficiency, as part of a program designed to save you up to 40% on your heating and cooling bills. We'll inspect your ductwork during our home energy checkup, where we'll also test your overall home energy performance and check your attic and basement for proper air sealing and insulation.
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Call 1-866-627-6475 or contact us online to schedule a home energy audit today with one of our BPI-Certified Energy Upgrade Consultants. We serve both sides of the river including Chesterfield, St. Louis, O'Fallon, Florrisant, Kirkwood, Ballwin, Edwardsville, Maryville, Glen Carbon, Bethalo, Millstadt, Freeburg, and surrounding cities.