Since our air conditioners run pretty much constantly throughout the Del Rio summers, it can be hard to notice subtle changes in the system. Yet, since saving energy is on the mind of every homeowner in Del Rio, it pays to know what signs mean that the air conditioning ducts are wasting energy.

A cooling system can run for decades, and all the while the air ducts are wasting energy. You may have just move in, you may have purchased your house a long time ago, or you may have remodeled. Either way, are you sure your air ducts are working as they should?

Until you get your entire cooling system (including the air ducts) inspected by a Del Rio air conditioning company, you’ll never really know. However, there are a few helpful signs you can watch for that mean your air conditioning ducts may be wasting energy.

You Turn The Air Conditioner On But Very Little Air Comes From The Duct

If you place your hand in front of the vent after your cooling system has been turned on, there should be a good amount of cool air being forced out.

If no air at all comes out, check the other ducts in the house. If it’s just that one vent, there could be a leak or blockage of some type. If all vents produce no air at all, go ahead and call a professional for air conditioning repairs.

If there is some air flow from some vents but it’s weak throughout the house, you can try the following to improve things.

Methods You Can Try To Improve the Airflow Through Air Conditioning Ducts

Here are several things to try which may improve the airflow through your air ducts.

1. Check that the duct has not been closed manually.
2. Change the air filter.
3. When changing the air filter, examine the large air intake vent located on the air conditioner for any blockages. Sometimes air filters get sucked up into the intake vent on the machine because they’re cheap and flimsy or don’t fit right.
4. Remove the vent in question and examine the inside for blockages. You never know what people may have put in there, maybe you’ll find a duffel bag full of cash!
5. Open the closet which stores your air conditioner and examine the taped seals wherever possible. There should be no air flowing through them. If there is, you can re-tape it with metal tape (NOT Duct Tape). We say that because most air conditioners in Del Rio are central heat and air systems and the glue on duct tape is not made to withstand high heat.
6. Hire a duct cleaning service. The most common cause of air flow problems is dirty or blocked ducts.

When All Else Fails, Get Professional Help

To solve the energy wastage problem when all else fails, you’ll need professional help. Duct cleaning service could definitely solve the issue with low air flow coming from the air ducts.

If the duct cleaning didn’t increase the air flow through your vents, you’ll need to get your complete cooling system inspected, including the air ducts, by an air conditioning professional.

Leaky air ducts most definitely waste energy and all it takes to cause a leak is a rodent chewing through. Even the tiny shifts in temperature that naturally occur throughout every day of the year can eventually cause a connection to come loose if the ducts are old or were never properly sealed.

*Quick tip: Closing air vents does NOT save you money on energy because it creates back-pressure within the air ducts and forces your AC to work harder. The solution instead would be to install a zoning system to control the temperature in rooms individually or to get jumper ducts installed.

If you are looking for an air conditioning company in the Del Rio area then please call 830.774.6542 or complete our online request form to learn more.