Common Signs Your Ducts Are Leaking Air

If your home never feels quite as comfortable as it should, or if your energy bills seem unusually high, you might not immediately suspect your ductwork. After all, ducts are hidden behind walls, under floors, and in attics. But just because you don’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t having a major impact on your comfort and your costs.

Leaky air ducts are one of the most common causes of energy loss in residential HVAC systems. They allow conditioned air to escape before it reaches the rooms in your home, forcing your system to work harder and less efficiently. In fact, many homes lose up to 30% of their heated or cooled air through leaks, holes, or poorly connected ductwork.

Fortunately, there are clear signs that can help you identify the problem early. Here’s what to watch for and what you can do to fix it.

Inconsistent Room Temperatures

One of the first things homeowners notice with leaky ductwork is uneven heating or cooling. If certain rooms are always warmer in the summer or colder in the winter despite the thermostat setting, it could be due to air escaping through leaks in the ducts before it reaches those rooms.

You may find yourself adjusting the thermostat to try and balance things out, but that only causes your HVAC system to run longer and harder, increasing energy use without solving the root problem. If some rooms never feel quite right, it’s worth taking a closer look at the ductwork.

Higher-Than-Expected Energy Bills

Leaky ducts can significantly reduce the efficiency of your HVAC system, making it consume more energy to produce the same result. That’s because when conditioned air escapes into unconditioned spaces like the attic or crawl space, your system has to run longer to maintain your desired temperature indoors.

If your energy bills have been climbing steadily or suddenly spike during peak heating or cooling seasons, but nothing else in your household has changed, duct leakage may be the hidden culprit. Addressing it can often lead to substantial savings.

Excessive Dust in the Home

If you’re constantly dusting, but the dust seems to reappear quickly—especially around vents and registers—your ductwork may be contributing to the problem. Leaky ducts can draw in dust and debris from attics, crawl spaces, or basements and circulate them throughout your home.

Beyond just being a nuisance, this can reduce indoor air quality and worsen allergy or asthma symptoms for sensitive individuals. If your vents are surrounded by a noticeable buildup of dust, it’s a good idea to have your duct system inspected.

Unusual HVAC Performance

Another subtle sign of leaking ducts is when your HVAC system seems to be running more often, for longer periods of time, or struggling to keep up with temperature changes. You might hear the system cycling on and off frequently or notice that it takes much longer than usual to warm up or cool down the house.

This extra strain can not only increase your utility bills, but also shorten the lifespan of your HVAC equipment, leading to more frequent repairs or even early replacement.

Musty Odors or Poor Air Quality

When air escapes through leaks in your ductwork, it’s often pulling in air from places you’d rather keep sealed off, like the attic, crawl space, or between walls. These areas can be home to moisture, mold, dust, and other contaminants. That outside air can then be drawn back into the ducts and pushed into your living space.

If your home has a lingering musty smell, or if you've noticed a decline in air quality, especially when the system is running, your ductwork could be contributing to the issue.

The Solution: Aeroseal Duct Sealing from Complete Comfort

If any of these warning signs sound familiar, don’t worry, there’s a proven solution that’s both highly effective and minimally invasive. At Complete Comfort Heating & Cooling, we offer Aeroseal duct sealing, a state-of-the-art technology that seals leaks from the inside out.

Here’s how it works:

We start by inspecting your ductwork and running a diagnostic test to measure how much air is leaking from the system. Once we know the extent of the problem, we use the Aeroseal process to seal leaks from within the ducts. The system distributes a safe, non-toxic mist of sealing particles that find and seal leaks, no demolition, no guesswork, and no need to manually locate every crack or gap.

Not only does Aeroseal dramatically improve your HVAC system’s efficiency, but it can also lead to:

• Lower monthly energy bills

• More even temperatures throughout your home

• Better indoor air quality

• Less dust

• Quieter system performance

In many cases, homeowners experience immediate results, both in comfort and in cost savings.

Get Started with a Duct Evaluation

If you suspect your ducts are leaking or if you simply want to know how efficiently your HVAC system is running, Complete Comfort Heating & Cooling can help. We’ll perform a full duct system evaluation, identify any leakage, and show you just how much air (and money) you may be losing each month.

Don’t let hidden duct leaks impact your comfort or your budget. Contact us today to schedule an inspection and learn more about how Aeroseal can restore your system’s performance and efficiency.