AEROSEAL DUCT SEALING IN SMYRNA, DE
Challenge
This home in Smyrna, DE had many insulation upgrades done by Lawson Home Services. But insulation is only one third of the equation for an energy efficient home. In the energy and comfort improvement business we use the acronym PDR (not to be confused with the medical use), Produce, Deliver, and Retain.
PRODUCE: Conditioned air must be "produced" by heating, cooling, dehumidification, and purification. Since all of these steps involve the use of energy, we want to do them as efficiently as possible.
DELIVER: Once the air has been conditioned we have to distribute it throughout the home. This is typically accomplished by the duct work.
RETAIN: Once the conditioned air is in the rooms where it is needed we want it to stay there, at a consistent temperature. This is why we do two important things: Air seal, so that it does not leak out, and Insulate, so that heat transfer does not occur. Insulation and air sealing keep the heat from getting out during the winter, and from getting in during the summer.
This home had a major flaw: The HVAC duct work traveled through the harsh environment of the attic, which is always at the opposite side of the temperature range from the conditioned air inside the ductwork. If that ductwork is not properly insulated and air sealed then the conditioned air gets "unconditioned" while traveling through the duct work. And if the ductwork is leaky on top of it (Untreated ductwork is ALWAYS leaky), the air literally escapes into the attic before it is DELIVERED to its destination.
Solution
The solution for the ductwork in this home is two-fold. First, the insulation must be improved. Second, the air leaks must be sealed.
Lawson Home Services performed these two important things, first, by encapsulating the attic ductwork in foam, and second, by airsealing the ductwork from the inside out with an amazing product called AeroSeal.
