Furnace Sealing – December 10, 2009
mastic sealing of ductwork hood
Its truly amazing what can be accomplished with a little water-based mastic and fiberglass mesh in sealing all the air leaks in an existing home ductwork system. I probably increased (tested by feeling the increase right thru the register!) the hot air flow by 40%, no kidding. What is unfortunate about this situation is that the original replacement of the air handling units by a “certified” HVAC contractor was not done properly. Duct tape is not a long-term solution and comes no where near improving the air flow capacity of the duct system that mastic does.
By the way, always keep an eye on the work being done by the contractor to make sure they comply with current energy efficiency standards. If you feel your heating, ventilating and air conditioning output could improve but don’t know where to begin, I suggest you contact a GreenPoint Advisor, listed by city in the directory of Build It Green.
GreenPoint Advisors can help you pinpoint energy saving strategies like the one I just pointed out. Do not assume that just because you hire a ” certified ” and “licensed” contractor to do the job right that it is a guarantee.