The moment I started up the furnace last Winter, I immediately noticed some new troubles.
There seemed to be a ton more dust coming out, and the unpleasant odors coming from the air vents felt less less like heated air. As the outdoor temperature dropped, I kept raising the control unit level. The house was pretty cold, and the furnace simply couldn’t keep up, however certain rooms were especially cold. I should have called for repair that day, by that time of year it is typically hectic. By the end of January, I was harshly unhappy with the performance of the furnace and the cost of my utility payments. I finally got with a professional service. The professional looked over all components of the furnace and inspected the duct system. I hadn’t considered that the HVAC ducts might be the cause for all of the troubles. The testing revealed that approximately 25% of the heated air produced by the old furnace was escaping through numerous leaks and holes. Because the maximum amount of heated air wasn’t reaching the rooms in the house, the furnace was struggling to meet the control unit settings. The longer run times added to wear and tear and caused the higher heating bills. I wasn’t sure how my issue could be fixed. With the HVAC duct mostly hidden inside walls, ceilings and the crawlspace, I was already upset that the process would require some major renovation. Fortunately, there is a new duct sealing process that works from the inside. Polymer adhesive particles are pumped into the HVAC ducts by way of highly pressurized air. As this air leaks from the holes, the particles cling to the edges and gradually accumulate. The whole procedure takes a couple of hours, causes no destruction and leaves behind no odor or residue. It’s also perfectly safe and non-toxic. After it was complete, the professional once again checked the ducts to verify the results.