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When your HVAC ducts are clogged, it can cause a lot of problems not only for you as a homeowner, but also for your HVAC system. If you are under the impression that you do have a duct blockage, it will be vital for you to call your local HVAC experts. In the meantime, please review the following troubleshooting options so that you can keep yourself informed.
What Causes Blocked HVAC Ducts?
HVAC ductwork is critical for the functionality of your home’s HVAC unit. If you have blocked HVAC ductwork then there will be a difference in temperature throughout your home. Some rooms may be cooler than others, and if the problem is significant enough, it’s essential for you to contact your local HVAC professionals so that you can get to the bottom of the problem.
How To Check For Blockages In Your Air Ducts
Air duct blockages share symptoms with other issues that can occur with your HVAC unit, which is why it is important to distinguish them with proper troubleshooting. Here are some questions that you can ask yourself:
- Are there hot and cold pockets in your household?
- Are you experiencing little to no airflow coming out of your home’s vents?
- Are your energy bills gradually rising without any explicable reason?
If the answer to each of those questions is in the affirmative, then you can see whether or not the reason is due to clogged air ducts. To troubleshoot the issue, turn on your air conditioner or heater. At this point, you can go through your home and check each vent for airflow. You can make note of the rooms in the home where the airflow is weak.
Next, inspect the furnace or air conditioner filter. This is because you want to ensure that your filter isn’t dirty or clogged. A clogged air filter will disrupt not only your airflow but could seriously impair your air conditioner’s ability to function. Clogged filters can be a culprit for hot and cold patches in your home. Air filters should be changed out every thirty to ninety days in order to make sure that your airflow is optimal. Updating your air filter will also help if you have pets in the house and you want to reduce pet dander.
If your air filter is not the problem, then you can inspect the ductwork from outside the home. Your attic and your basement may also have open ductwork, and these areas will need to be inspected for holes or for loose fittings.
The dampers can also be inspected at this point. Dampers are common in multi-zone HVAC systems.
The dampers in your household open and close to control airflow to specific parts of the home. If for some reason the damper isn’t working correctly then it can create a blockage in airflow. This will prevent air from reaching its destination. As always, if you cannot troubleshoot the air duct situation yourself, then your best bet is to call our HVAC professionals at Cotes Mechanical.
What Causes a Blocked Air Duct?
Let’s briefly discuss what causes a blocked air duct. The following problems will cause air duct blockages:
- Dirt and grime build up in the air duct.
- Dead animals.
- Damaged ductwork.
- Leaking ducts.
- Physical obstructions in the ductwork.
- Closed zone dampers.
Each of these different sources of air ducts problems will require a slightly different solution. To review your available options, please be certain to contact your local certified HVAC professional team.
How Do You Unclog Air Ducts?
Your local HVAC professional may have slightly different methods, but the accepted methodology is to remove the screws from air duct covers and return air grill plates. Next, cover up the supply vents with paper towels. After that, the thermostat will be set to the “fan on” position.Then, the duct can be loosened in the ducts and removed. The supply registers should be cleaned as well as the return registers. Once the entire system is properly cleaned, airflow should resume back to normal.
What Do I Do If I Suspect I Have An Air Duct Leak?
If you have troubleshot all of your available air duct options, then now is the time to start contacting your local air conditioning and heating authority. Our company provides cleaning, maintenance, and repair work for air ducts. Cote’s Mechanical is a company of HVAC professionals led by a husband and wife team. Cote and Kristi Wyatt are passionate about HVAC solutions for their community. They founded the company in 2001 and it quickly grew into a well-established company withover 40 employees. You can always reach a friendly member of our staff with a well-placed call to our team. We provide free estimates on new installs and free service calls with all repairs.
