Are Your Air Ducts Underperforming? Common Causes of Airflow Obstructions

- Published by
Clean Ducts

Air ducts are like the arteries of your home HVAC system, and just like arteries, it’s not fun for anyone when they get clogged! Clogged ducts can keep living areas from getting the conditioned air they need, they can change the balance of airflow to force more air through certain vents and stir up dust into the air, and they can even cause HVAC system failure: a heart attack for your central A/C or furnace.
Watch out for these common obstructions in your duct system:

  • A clogged or dislodged air filter – Ideally, all the air flowing through the ducts also flows through the air filter. When it’s not letting air through, it’s not just a problem for a couple rooms of your house—it’s a problem everywhere. And if the air filter is pulled into the ducts, it can become a fire hazard if it travels near the furnace fan.
  • A dirty blower fan – If the blower fan gathers too much dust or grime, it won’t push air as effectively and can even become stuck.
  • A stuck fire damper – Fire dampers close in the event of a house fire in order to keep fire from spreading through the air ducts. But that’s really the only time they should be closed, otherwise they’re just stopping air from moving freely.
  • Damaged ducts – Whether it’s a flexible duct that’s been crushed by careless insulation or a rigid duct that’s developed a big dent or a rupture, damage to the ducts themselves can stop air from moving.
  • Loose insulation – Insulating ductwork is a good idea, because it keeps the air inside at the right temperature between the central system and your rooms. But if the insulation is inside the duct, it could come loose, pile up and obstruct airflow.
  • Blocked or closed return air vents – If these are closed, blocked by furniture or smothered by dust, air may not be getting to the HVAC system for it to condition and distribute.

To learn more about keeping air ducts healthy and obstruction-free, call us at Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning today!

Image via Shutterstock.com

  
 

Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning is a full-service heating and air conditioning company and a Bryant® Factory Authorized Dealer in Central Florida. Whether you need repair, maintenance, or installation of a new heating or cooling system, we provide efficient, cost-effective, and professional service. When it’s hot, call Scott!

Tags: , , , ,

Categorised in:

AC Service Testimonials

Had the pleasure of Santiago to come and service our unit. He was very respectful and fort right. We have a much older unit and he was kind enough to explain to us the issues he was seeing and also what he recommend we do to maximize our purchase.
Excellent experience with the whole crew today on a new ac unit install, highly recommend these guys they were fantastic and went above and beyond! Big thanks fellas!
We have used several AC Companies in the past and have settled on Scott's. They have been very responsive, honest and straightforward on billing, as well as very thorough on the work they do. All of the technicians have been good, but Christian has been exceptional. He does a thorough analysis, answers all of our questions and really takes the time to explain what he is doing and why. He is very nice as well. Excellent work Christian!
Perfect company to do business with. Professional and courteous in all phases of project.

Recent Posts