WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Spray duct sealer designed to prevent wallet leakage, too

Spray duct sealer designed to prevent wallet leakage, too

(National) Oct. 14, 2003 - When homeowner Geraldine Jimenez felt hot in one room and cool in another, she figured her thermostat was on the blink, "I noticed there was uneven air conditioning and heating into my front bedroom, which was a lot warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter."

Temperature problems in the home can sometimes be the work of leaky air ducts, a major waste of energy. Some experts say the traditional ways they're sealed, using duct tape or caulking, aren't very reliable.

Now, mechanical engineers at a government lab have come up with a way to seal up air ducts more tightly. Mark Modera, of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, explains how Aeroseal works, "What it will do is it build up a seal, and you can watch it, sort of, slowly pile on itself and close the leak."

Richard Karney, of the US Department of Energy's EnergyStar program, says properly sealed ducts can save loads of cash, "We have found that out of the $1300 that a typical homeowner spends on his energy costs, about $150 of this comes from leaky air ducts."

After closing the air vents with Aeroseal, a technician injects tiny adhesive particles into the air duct system. The particles only seek out and plug up cracks and holes without coating the ducts. Modera says they gradually build up, forming a plug, so air goes where it's supposed to, "It can get to the leaks from inside the duct work. The Aeroseal sealant gets to places that you wouldn't get to otherwise."

Geraldine recently had Aeroseal pumped through her vents. Now she's enjoying even room temperatures and much lower energy costs, "I've been really pleased that such a small change has made such a big difference."

The Aeroseal system should last a homeowner at least ten years. It costs up to $1400 depending on the size of the home and how many heating and cooling systems it has.

by Hannah Nelson

posted 1:25pm by Chris Rees