Raising the Standard Episode 52

Are you ready for this? To kick off this episode of Raising the Standard BOSS owner, Jeff Street asks the question:

When it’s below freezing temperatures and snowing, is it better if the snow on your roof melts, forming large icicles, or accumulates? 

Most people don’t know the answer or don’t pay attention to this potentially big issue so let’s examine this further. Listen above to our podcast this week or read below for the answer to that question and learn more about how ductwork can help or hurt your home’s energy efficiency. 

Why Your Attic’s Temperature is Important When it Snows

Our answer to the question above: Your attic should be close to the same temperature as it is outside so your snow should be accumulating on the roof ideally.  If the snow is melting, then your attic is being heated, which means two things:

1). You’re wasting heat in an unused room.

2). Your attic is heating your roof and creating large icicles, which can be dangerous to the health of your roof.

This also creates an ice dam. Once those icicles are forming on your roof, it causes the melting water to run down, hit that ice, and freeze instead of merely dripping off. Then, it forces water under your shingles, which also freezes and causes roof damage and leaks eventually. This is why melting snow on your roof is bad in freezing temperatures.  Besides the issues it causes by melting snow, there’s no reason to spend money to heat your unused attic. This why your ductwork and insulation is so important.

What is the best material for ducts?

Your ductwork in your attic or crawl space needs to be sealed and insulated to maintain the desired temperature in your home all year. If your ducts are faulty, then you are wasting energy in your home and not heating or cooling your home adequately. So what type of ductwork is best?

There’s two types of ductwork: hard ducts or flex ducts. At BOSS Services, we use hard piped ducts, which are screwed together and sealed with mastic. Mastic is a gooey non-hardening material that works like a dream to seal it altogether strongly. We even insulate the ductwork to keep the heat and cool air on the inside of the ductwork to minimize wasted energy. 

Another type of ductwork uses flex ducts, which BOSS Services does not use. This is a material that is flexible with plastic around it and insulation. It’s easier to put together, but we don’t do it because it tends to create future problems.  We find that when flex is put up and suspended, it eventually starts to sag, which affects your airflow. Also, because it’s not a solid metal, rodents can eat through it, creating a hole in your ductwork. Unfortunately, holes in your ducts will cause air to be pumped into your attic or crawl space instead of the areas in your home that actually need the conditioned air. 

So how important is having the right insulation? This is Jeff’s real-life experience…

Jeff is currently remodeling his own home. He took down his ceiling last weekend and all of the insulation, which was 40-year old R-13 insulation and replaced it with R-30 insulation. The difference is incredible. Without new drywall up even, his Mitsubishi mini-split system was running quite a bit on cold days, but as soon as they installed the R-30 insulation, their system now runs half as much. Insulation can definitely save energy if done properly. 

Do you have to insulate ductwork anywhere besides the attic?

If an area in your home has ductwork in an area that is climate controlled, your ductwork does not need to be insulated. However in attics and crawl spaces, ductwork does need to be insulated to prevent energy loss. You should consider sealing your ductwork if it isn’t so your airflow is better through your registers and you’re not leaking air throughout your house.

Wondering if your ductwork is helping or hurting energy efficiency?

If you would like an HVAC professional to examine your ductwork, our BOSS HVAC Technicians can take a closer look and make sure you’re not experiencing energy loss for any reason.  Call 269-468-6682 to schedule your ductwork check-up today. Stay warm out there – talk to you next week!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download