You could, but you’d regret it!
Don’t worry, we’re going to give you a bit more detail than that.
Look, we get it. If you have a construction worker in your life, or even just a handy person, then you may have at one point heard the phrase, “All you need in life is to have two tools: if it doesn’t move and it’s supposed to, WD-40. If it moves and it’s not supposed to, duct tape!”
And this is good advice—for just about anything except your HVAC system’s ductwork!
Dealing with Ductwork Damage
One of the biggest energy thieves in your home could be air leaks coming from your ductwork. This is something that not a lot of homeowners think about, but it is a fact of life. Ductwork damage or breached air ducts require professional duct sealing from ventilation pros. This service can keep your air conditioner form losing up to 30% of the air that moves through the ducts.
Think about what this translates to: this is conditioned air that you are paying for to keep your home comfortable in the summer, and yet it is going to waste. With professional duct sealing services, however, you’ll see significant savings on your cooling bills.
But Is Duct Tape Really That Bad?
Let’s talk about where duct tape came from. It was developed around the time of the first World War, and was a consumer-grade tape available in most hardware stores. It consisted of the tape with a cloth-backed adhesive, and its original purpose was to seal up ammunition boxes. But it was actually called duck tape at that time.
“What? Duck tape? Why?” There are a couple possible reasons this was the case. It was likely because it was backed with duck cloth. Or, it could be because the tape’s water resistant properties are reminiscent of how water rolls off the oiled back of a duck.
In the 1950s or so, duck somehow got transformed to duct, likely because people assumed that it could work on ductwork as a method to repair and seal it. Superficially, this seems like it would work. Tests have shown it doesn’t. The problem is duct tape reacts poorly to heat and temperature fluctuations, which is common in air ducts. The adhesive of duct tape soon turns brittle and the tape fails. You can maybe expect it to last a couple months before it fails completely.
Invest in Professional Duct Sealing
The good news is, when done right, and so long as your ductwork isn’t decades old and falling apart in multiple places, professional duct sealing solves the problem with that part of your air ducts permanently. During this service, our technicians will use special equipment, such as resin-based mastic sealant and metallic tapes, to ensure the ductwork is made airtight. Of course, this all requires a pro to locate where any air leaks are coming from to begin with.
