Air leaks in your ducts can cost you a ton of money as well as prevent your air conditioner from being able to effectively cool your home when you need it the most. Ducts are not infallible, and over time cracks and holes can develop, allowing precious cooled air to seep out. When most people think of a way to patch a small hole, most turn to duct tape because of its low cost, high durability, and ease of use. Well, turns out, that’s not a good idea. Here are three reasons why you shouldn’t use duct tape to fix your leaky air ducts, contrary to its name.
It’s Illegal
When we tell people this, most are usually dumbfounded to learn that duct tape is actually not legal to use on your air ducts. Believe it or not, Florida building code forbids using duct tape to seal holes, cracks, or gaps in air ducts. The logic behind this is that duct tape is flammable, and over time dust, air, and dirt that travels through your ducts can escape and stick to the tape itself, causing it to lose adhesion and fall off. Furthermore, it also can become brittle and disintegrate over time, which also causes it to fall off. When it falls off, it essentially leaves an easy-burning piece of tinder in your walls that can catch fire, especially if it also makes contact with a piece of electrical equipment.
It’s Unreliable
While duct tape may stick to nearly everything and hold strong, it doesn’t create a solid seal that keeps the air in your vents. Since most duct tape isn’t applied properly, it actually leaves a lot of small gaps that air can still seep through, which means you aren’t actually sealing your ducts off at all. A professional duct sealing service from an air conditioning expert is the only way you can truly and reliably seal air leaks and restore your duct system to peak efficiency and minimal heat loss.
It’s Messy
Duct tape adhesive is some truly nasty stuff. If you’ve left duct tape on any surface for too long, you know what that means: dealing with adhesive residue all over the surface until you can finally find a way to scrub it all off. Believe it or not, duct tape adhesive doesn’t stand up well to extremely high or very low temperatures. High temperatures “bake” the adhesive, causing it to degrade and lose effectiveness. When it’s too cold outside, the tape also loses its ability to stick because the adhesive hardens and loses its flexibility. As a result, you’re left with a pile of useless silver cloth and a still-leaky air duct.
Do you need your ducts sealed? Call Del-Air Heating and Air Conditioning today at 888-831-2665 for a case evaluation and get help making your air conditioner more efficient!
