Mike, Easton:



     My wife and I purchased a new home last year. We've always had hot water baseboard heat, but the new home had dual forced hot air systems. After living in the house for the first year we noticed a few things about our heating/cooling system. First, some vents seemed to have little or no air flow when the zone should have been active. Second, I noticed that my basement home-office (below a lot of exposed duct work) would get warm or cold depending on what the upstairs zones were calling for.

     The house was built in 1993 and is in great condition. After doing a little research I realized that I might be having these problems because of leaky duct work. Common wisdom suggests taping the duct joints or painting them with a flexible mastic. The problem is that this will only fix the duct work you can access; I would not be fixing the leaks inside the finished walls.

     I did some more research and found Aeroseal, a product which can seal an entire duct system from the inside. This was exactly what I was looking for. Even better, they would pressure-test the system before and after the sealing process to show its effectiveness. Aeroseal put me in contact with ECS-Aeroseal in Southbury, CT.

     I spoke to Bill Henne over the phone and he gave me a quote. I made the appointment to schedule the sealing. When Bill and Tucker arrived, they inspected the system and got to work. It was a simple, straightfoward process. First, all the existing intake and outtake ducts are sealed. Then, they cut a small access point to blow air into the ductwork. At first, they just blow in air to test the system. This will also serve as the point to introduce the Aeroseal product later on. The supply and return for each system (I have 2) were tested. I received a clear, comprehensive report that showed the air loss I had before and after Aeroseal.

     I didn't need a report to be convinced. After we sealed the first system and pressure-tested it, the visible duct work literally started to expand out slightly. The system was that air-tight. That run went from leakage equivalent to a 27 square inch hole to under 0! ECS sealed other leakage equivalent to 50, 77, and 51 sq in. There was no mess or unplesant odor.

     It was like installing a whole new system. Suddenly, vents in my house that had no pressure were shooting out air.

     With the recent string of hot days, the house is much more comfortable. I am confident that more of the air I am paying to cool is reaching its destination. I am sure the house will be far warmer this winter. With the rising cost of oil and electricity, Aeroseal is a no-brainer.