Professional Air Duct Sealing & Air Duct Repair
Your ductwork is supposed to carry heated and cooled air where it needs to go.
But gaps, loose connections, disconnected ducts and damaged sections can allow that air to escape before it ever reaches the rooms in your home.
Krystal Kleen provides professional duct sealing and duct repair in Grand Rapids and throughout West Michigan.
We can identify accessible problem areas, seal leaking ductwork and repair damaged or disconnected sections so your duct system can do its job properly.
Call 616-208-4445 for a quote.
Grand Rapids Duct Cleaners
What Is Duct Sealing?
Duct sealing is the process of closing unwanted openings in your duct system where conditioned air can escape.
Leaks commonly occur around:
- Duct joints and connections
- Seams
- Elbows and fittings
- Supply and return connections
- Other gaps in accessible ductwork
Even relatively small gaps can add up across an entire duct system.
According to ENERGY STAR, a typical house can lose about 20% to 30% of the air moving through its duct system because of leaks, holes and poorly connected ducts.
Sealing those problem areas helps keep more of the air you're paying to heat or cool inside the duct system.
Signs Your Ductwork May Be Leaking or Damaged
You usually can't see most of your ductwork from the rooms in your home, so problems aren't always obvious.
Some things that may justify inspecting the duct system include:
- Rooms that are consistently difficult to heat or cool
- Weak airflow from certain registers
- Visible gaps or loose duct connections
- Sections of ductwork that have become disconnected
- Torn, crushed or damaged flexible ductwork
- Ductwork in an attic, crawlspace, garage or unfinished basement that appears damaged
- Unexplained comfort problems in particular areas of the home
These symptoms don't prove that you have a duct leak. HVAC performance problems can have many causes.
The condition of the ductwork itself is what matters.
Duct Sealing vs. Duct Repair
These terms are related, but they're not exactly the same.
Duct sealing addresses unwanted gaps and leaks in otherwise serviceable ductwork.
Duct repair addresses physical problems with the duct system itself.
For example, a leaking joint may simply need to be properly sealed.
A section of ductwork that has separated, torn or become badly damaged may need to be repaired, reconnected or replaced instead.
We provide both duct sealing and duct repair, so we can address the actual problem rather than treating every duct issue as the same thing.
Common Ductwork Problems We Can Address
Depending on the condition and accessibility of your duct system, ductwork may need attention because of:
Leaking Duct Connections
Connections between sections of ductwork can develop gaps that allow conditioned air to escape.
Disconnected Ductwork
Sections can become loose or separate entirely, creating a much larger opening than an ordinary leak.
Damaged Duct Sections
Ductwork that has been crushed, torn or otherwise physically damaged may need repair or replacement rather than simply sealing the opening.
Damaged Flexible Duct
Flexible ductwork can become torn, crushed, kinked or disconnected.
The appropriate repair depends on the type and extent of the damage.
Aging or Deteriorated Seals
Older duct systems may have joints or connections where the original sealing material has deteriorated or failed.
Why Do Leaky Air Ducts Matter?
A duct leak doesn't necessarily mean your HVAC equipment itself is malfunctioning.
The problem is that some of the conditioned air being produced may not reach its intended destination.
That's particularly important when ducts run through spaces such as:
- Attics
- Crawlspaces
- Garages
- Unfinished basements
Instead of delivering all of the conditioned air to the living areas of the house, damaged or poorly connected ductwork can allow some of it to escape along the way.
Properly sealing and repairing those areas can improve the integrity of the duct system.
Can Leaky Ducts Increase Heating and Cooling Costs?
They can.
If conditioned air escapes from ducts before reaching the living space, some of the energy used to heat or cool that air is wasted.
ENERGY STAR identifies duct sealing as one way homeowners can improve HVAC efficiency, particularly when ducts run through unconditioned areas.
But be cautious about anyone promising you a specific percentage of savings.
Actual results depend on factors such as:
- How much leakage exists
- Where the leaks are located
- How much ductwork runs through unconditioned space
- The condition of the HVAC equipment
- Insulation and air sealing elsewhere in the home
- Climate and thermostat settings
Duct sealing should fix a real duct leakage problem—not be sold with a guaranteed utility-bill reduction.
Can Leaky Ducts Make Some Rooms Uncomfortable?
They can contribute.
For example, if a supply duct leading to a particular room is leaking or partially disconnected, less conditioned air may reach that room.
But uneven temperatures aren't proof of leaking ducts.
Equipment sizing, insulation, windows, airflow restrictions, system balancing and other HVAC issues can produce similar symptoms.
That's why the goal should be to find the underlying problem rather than automatically assuming duct sealing is the solution.
Can I Seal My Air Ducts Myself?
Some accessible duct leaks can be DIY projects.
ENERGY STAR recommends sealing accessible duct joints with mastic sealant or metal-backed foil HVAC tape designed for ductwork.
One material you generally shouldn't rely on is ordinary cloth-backed “duct tape.”
Despite the name, conventional duct tape isn't the preferred material for permanently sealing HVAC duct joints.
The bigger challenge is accessibility.
A homeowner may be able to seal an obvious joint in an unfinished basement, but much of a home's duct system can be concealed behind walls, ceilings or other finished surfaces.
Physical damage, disconnected sections and more complicated duct problems may also require professional repair.
[READ OUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO AIR DUCT SEALING →]
Should Ducts Be Cleaned Before They're Sealed?
These are separate services addressing different problems.
Duct cleaning removes accumulated debris and contamination from inside the HVAC system when cleaning is warranted.
Duct sealing addresses unwanted air leakage.
Duct repair corrects physical damage or disconnected ductwork.
Having one problem doesn't automatically mean you have the others.
If your ducts are both contaminated and damaged, however, it can make sense to evaluate the system as a whole and determine the appropriate order of work.
[LEARN ABOUT AIR DUCT CLEANING →]
Duct Sealing Isn't the Same as Whole-Home Air Sealing
It's easy to confuse the two.
Duct sealing addresses leaks in the HVAC duct system.
Whole-home air sealing addresses openings in the building itself—such as gaps and penetrations that allow outdoor air to move into and out of the house.
Both can affect comfort and energy use, but they are different jobs.
If your problem is primarily with the building envelope rather than the duct system, you may need a different type of contractor.
What About Duct Insulation?
Sealing and insulation also solve different problems.
Sealing helps prevent air from leaking out of—or unintentionally entering—the duct system.
Insulation helps reduce heat transfer through the duct material.
This can be particularly relevant when ducts travel through unconditioned spaces such as attics or crawlspaces.
If you have damaged, missing or inadequate duct insulation, that issue should be evaluated separately from leakage.
Do You Need Duct Sealing or Duct Repair?
The answer depends on what's actually wrong with the system.
An intact duct with leaking joints may need sealing.
A disconnected section needs to be reconnected.
Damaged ductwork may need repair or replacement.
And if the ductwork is in good condition, neither service may be necessary.
We'd rather address the actual problem than sell you work your duct system doesn't need.
Duct Sealing & Repair in Grand Rapids and West Michigan
We have worked with residential and commercial duct systems throughout West Michigan for more than 20 years.
In addition to professional air duct cleaning, we provide duct sealing and repair for homeowners dealing with leaking, disconnected or damaged ductwork.
We serve Grand Rapids and surrounding West Michigan communities.
If you think your duct system may be leaking or damaged, give us a call and tell us what you're seeing.
Your Grand Rapids Duct Cleaners
Duct Sealing & Repair FAQs
How do I know if my air ducts are leaking?
Visible gaps, disconnected sections or damaged ductwork are strong evidence of a problem. Weak airflow or rooms that are difficult to heat and cool can also be reasons to investigate, but those symptoms can have other causes.
Is duct sealing worth it?
If your duct system has meaningful leakage, sealing the leaks can keep more conditioned air inside the duct system and reduce unnecessary losses. Whether it's worthwhile for a particular home depends on the location and extent of the leakage.
Can you repair disconnected ductwork?
Yes. We provide duct repair in addition to duct sealing, including addressing disconnected and damaged ductwork.
Can damaged flexible ductwork be repaired?
Depending on the location and extent of the damage, damaged flex duct may be repairable or a section may need replacement.
Does duct sealing lower energy bills?
Reducing duct leakage can reduce heating and cooling losses, particularly when ductwork passes through unconditioned spaces. The amount of potential savings varies considerably, so we don't recommend relying on promises of a specific percentage reduction.
Is duct sealing the same as duct cleaning?
No. Duct sealing stops unwanted air leakage. Duct cleaning removes accumulated debris and contamination from inside the system when cleaning is warranted. One service doesn't automatically mean you need the other.
Do you provide duct sealing in Grand Rapids?
Yes. We provide duct sealing and duct repair in Grand Rapids and surrounding West Michigan communities. Call 616-208-4445 to discuss your ductwork and get a quote.
