Education

Is Your House Making You Sick?

Adding more insulation without duct sealing and air sealing is like putting icing on a mud pie. A poorly sealed Air Distribution System (ADS) wastes money and contributes to unhealthy air in the home. The lost air due to ADS leakage is from 20% to 50%. Research suggests that 75% of heat pump problems can be attributed to leaky ducts. The remaining 25% can be attributed to poor insulation. Sealing your duct work and air handler not only saves money and conserves energy, but also improves air quality.

Leakage in the ADS creates a negative pressure in the house, sucking in cold air and lowering the house temperature. Not only does the negative pressure suck in cold air, it also pulls mole spores and damp, dirty air from the crawl space. Dust mites, glass fibers, and dusty air are sucked from the attic. The leaky ADS mandates that the house be air sealed. Without air sealing the influx of cold air causes the heating unit to work harder. It's a vicious circle - the harder the ADS works, the harder it has to work.

Inadequate and poor insulation perpetuate the vicious circle. Insulation codes were based on energy costs when your home was built. Quality insulation correctly installed in an air-sealed home minimizes heat loss, saves money, and contributes to air quality by reducing the time your air distribution system is running.

Most of today's existing homes were designed and built when House Science did not exist and there was little concern for energy efficiency. To "green" an existing home, the house and the HVAC components must be thought of as a system.

The professionals use diagnostic equipment such as blower doors and duct blasters to determine when ducts are adequately sealed and knowledge acquired in training and field experience to seal floors and ceilings. Always use a trained and experienced professional such as Apple Blossom Insulators to 'cure what ails your home' and ensure your house is not making you sick.