Ductwork Replacement

Ductwork Replacement for homes in Slidell, La

WARNING! This post is for trained and certified technicians only. It is for educational purposes only. Under no circumstances should anyone who is not qualified or have the required permits or licensing attempt to use any information in this post to try and repair an HVAC or electrical system on their own. The opinions and methods I use are my opinions and I give no guarantee of any type of outcome. In other words, if you are not a trained and certified technician do not attempt to repair your own equipment. 

Does your home need ductwork replacement in Slidell, LA?

Does Ductwork need to be replaced if it’s metal or doesn’t have very many holes or leakage?

These are good questions to ask. After going on thousands of service calls and seeing the good bad and the ugly, I will give you my perspective on duct replacement for your Slidell home.

For the sake of keeping this as interesting as possible, I will start with some not so obvious reasons to have your Slidell home ductwork replaced.

DUCTS NOT SIZED CORRECTLY.

Many of the homes we visit have ductwork that for all appearances seems to be just fine. the ducts may be relatively clean inside and out and don’t have very much leakage.

But does this mean they are sized correctly?

If the current ducts were designed for the equipment that was originally in the home when it was first designed and build it may be the correct size to allow the system to operate at its optimum performance.

But if the indoor and outdoor condenser and or air handler was replaced and the old ducting and return air system left in place then your ducts may need to be replaced.

Ductwork replacement typically only comes to mind when people think about allergies and other respiratory issues that can arise because of various biological growth inside the duct system.

People typically don’t question if the ducts are the correct size.

I have witnessed first-hand numerous brand new homes and developments that have improperly sized ducts.

How does that happen?

When your home blueprints were designed the mechanical section of the blueprints included the properly designed ducting for the size and style of the system being installed in the new home.

Unfortunately

Some contractors. Not all but some contractors cut corners and don’t follow the blueprints to the letter. They will use RULE-OF-THUMB type HVAC principles to size the ducts and return air.

But wait a minute don’t the jobs have to pass an inspection. yes they do have to pass an inspection. they do pass the inspection. In defense of the inspectors, how can they possibly go through a whole job and do all the mathematical calculations and other tasks that would be required of them to make sure every contractor dotted all the I’s and crossed all the T’s.

Having inspected numerous job’s I know the inspectors are doing a great job. They do everything in their power to ensure the safety of the mechanical installation. But the specifics of airflow calculations and other specifics is really left of to the installers doing the job.

Because of this many homes in Slidell, LA has improperly sized ducts.

Many homes need the ducts replaced because the old equipment was replaced and the new equipment requires different airflow. Modifications to existing equipment can be made if that is a route someone want’s to take. However, in many cases, the ducts have so much dust and other living things inside of them it’s a good idea to just have them replaced.

Having improperly sized ducts can dramatically shorten the life of modern HVAC equipment and over the life of the system cost you thousands of dollars extra in utility bills.

DIRTY DUCTS

having dirt ducts will not only restrict the airflow in the duct system but can cause numerous health issues.

Unlike home from 30-70 years ago, today homes are being built with improved insulation. This is good for keeping cold air in in the summer and hot air in in the winter. this isn’t good if your ducts have various contaminants inside of them.

If your home is sealed up tight and not able to breath then it’s very likely your indoor air is dirtier than your outdoor air.

Having your dirty ducts replaced with new properly sized ducts will improve your indoor air quality, and may even increase the life of your HVAC equipment while possibly lowering your utility bills.

BAD WORKMANSHIP

Your Slidell, LA home may have ducts that are properly sized and they may be clean but, what if the installation was done very poorly.

If your ducts are twisting and turning with bends and unsealed connections what does it matter if your ducts are properly sized and clean.

Each size and type of material of the duct will only allow a certain CFM’s of air to flow through the ducts. this is also determined by the size of the return air size.

The return air is the location where the air in your home is being pulled in by the systems blower motor. Some parts of the country will have a return air that is located in one central area of the home.

Other parts of the country will have a return air grill in every room with one filter location back at the main return air plenum.

CHEAP IS CHEAP.

If you are thinking about having your ducts replaced in your Slidell, La home don’t just go with cheap.

You will save money by having a high-quality properly sized and properly installed duct system.

DISCLAIMER!

* WARNING! This post and information on this website are for trained and certified technicians only. It is for educational purposes only. Under no circumstances should anyone who is not qualified or have the required permits or licensing attempt to use any information in this post to try and repair an HVAC or electrical system on their own. The opinions and methods I use are my opinions and I give no guarantee of any type of outcome. In other words, if you are not a trained and certified technician you should not attempt any repairs on your own. You should hire a licensed professional to do the work.  

*Income & Affiliate Disclaimer. If you purchase a product or service from one of the links on this page you should assume I earn an affiliate commission. Meaning I earn money because you purchase through one of my links. You should also assume that by clicking on my links you may receive email communications from me. 

To have a competent company and technicians do the work may cost you a little more on the front end but will save you thousands on the back end. You won’t have to worry about your equipment failing prematurely or higher than normal utility bills. You won’t have to worry about hot and cold spots in your home and many other issues if you decide to do it on the cheap.