Heat Transfer

Most homeowners have their forced-air heating systems checked before the cold weather arrives. However, not many people think about the ductwork (the channels that spread the heat from the furnace throughout the rest of the home). David and Sylvia Crunk, Aire Serv franchise owners in Austin, Texas, say there are three basic reasons to check out your ductwork:

Dust: You get extra dust in the house even though you are changing the furnace filters each month. Many Aire Servs have a duct-cleaning machine, comprised of a rotary brush and vacuum system, to clean the dust out of the ductwork.

Wasting energy: Go into your attic or basement, push back the insulation, and put your hand where the boot (ductwork) meets the grill into a room. If you feel warm air at the seam, heat is leaking into an unintended area. Aire Serv can seal up the gaps to enable the treated air to reach its destination—conserving your energy costs.

Hot and cold spots: When one room is a different temperature than another, this typically means you need to have your ductwork redesigned to distribute equal warmth throughout the house or incorporate zoning for maximum comfort.

Ten to 20 percent of heat loss in a home can be attributed to ductwork that was not properly installed. The Crunks recommend insulating the ducts in areas such as the attic, basement, crawl space, and garage. Then the warm air that passes through the ductwork will more accurately retain the heat in order to better heat the living areas.

LINDA A. ODUM