About Duct Sealing
What is Duct Sealing?
Homes that have forced-air heating and cooling systems use ducts to move air from the heating or cooling source throughout the home. Duct sealing in your home can allow for proper airflow creating a comfortable living space. Even in new construction, approximately 20% - 40% of the air flowing though the ductwork is lost through poorly sealed areas, holes, and leaks. In older homes the duct loss can be much more. PTCS Certified Technicians use a product called mastic to ensure longevity and quality assurance when sealing ducts. Mastic is a flexible sealant that never fully hardens and expands and contracts concurrently with ductwork.
Ways to tell if your ducts are performing poorly:
- Extreme summer and winter utility bills related to household heating and cooling
- Room temperature seems to be inconsistent or difficult to heat or cool
- Ductwork is in an unconditioned living space such as attic, crawlspace, or garage
- Flexible ductwork has kinks restricting airflow
A duct system that is well-designed and properly sealed can make your home more comfortable, energy efficient, and safer.
Penlight’s Duct Sealing Rebate
Depending on the type of home you live in the duct sealing rebate will vary. For existing site built homes there is a $500 rebate and a $400 rebate for manufactured homes. Here are a few steps to make sure that your home qualifies for Penlight’s rebate.
- Must be an electrically-heated home within the Penlight service territory
- The contractor must be PTCS certified and have an active agreement with Penlight
- The duct system must be tested and certified as a PTCS Duct System
Manufactured Homes
If you live in a manufactured home, chances are you will qualify for free duct testing and sealing valued at $400 (equivalent to the rebate amount). For more information about duct sealing for your manufactured home call eStarNW at 360.229.2852
Frequently Asked Questions
My home has insulation, why is it important to seal ducts?
Weather your ductwork is hard sheet metal or flex duct, it requires a thermal shell or insulation to maintain the temperature emitted. Although insulation does help maintain the warm and cool air passing through the ducts, it cannot eliminate leaks in poor ductwork. Duct sealing can drastically reduce the amount of wasted energy that escapes though ducts. Also, unlike duct tape which cracks and allows for air leaks in a matter of months, PTCS duct sealing ensures your ductwork will remain tight for years to come.
What is PTCS Certification?
‘Performance Tested Comfort Systems’ (PTCS) is a certification program for residential duct systems sponsored by the Bonneville Power Administration regarding the best practices for high performing HVAC systems. Through the PTCS program, contractors are trained in the specifications and must submit paperwork for each job to a registry maintained by Ecos Consulting. Ecos also performs site inspections on a percentage of jobs to ensure PTCS standards are being consistently upheld.
What types of systems does PTCS certify?
PTCS certifies air and ground source heat pumps, duct sealing, and duct testing.
Why do I need to have so many inspections performed on my system?
Contractors and many utility programs offering incentives return to inspect a recently installed job to ensure it was completed correctly. Ecos performs its own third party inspections on a percentage of jobs to ensure that the quality of the work is upheld, and that each system is saving the customer as much energy as possible. The additional testing brings no additional cost to the homeowner.
How do I become a PTCS certified technician?
Successful completion of the PTCS heat pump or duct sealing class is required to become a certified contractor. Contractors interested in becoming PTCS certified can ‘Click Here’ for more information.
For more information, send an email or call 253.853.1392
