Duct questions, answered

Probably not. The EPA says routine cleaning isn’t needed. It makes sense when you can see mold growing on hard duct surfaces, when pests have used the ducts, or when dust and debris are blowing out of the registers. We look first and show you what we find.

A duct leakage test measures it. We seal the registers, pressurize the ducts with a calibrated fan and read how much air escapes. Signs you can see yourself: rooms that stay warm, dust streaks at joints, or an attic that feels cooler near the ducts.

It can, because leaks let cooled air escape into the attic. We can’t promise a number: it depends on how bad the leaks are, the attic and the system. We read the leakage before and after, so you see what changed.

No. Cloth duct tape dries out and lets go in a hot attic. We seal joints with mastic or with foil tape rated for ducts.

Usually one of four things: leaks, a duct that’s crushed or kinked, too little return air, or a system that was never sized for the room. The test and a look at the attic tell us which.

It varies. In a hot attic, flexible duct can lose its insulation, sag and tear, and mastic and tape can dry out. We judge each run on what we see.

Use the highest MERV rating your system can handle. MERV 13 where it supports it, the EPA suggests. A filter that’s too tight for a weak blower cuts airflow, so ask us before you switch.

The EPA doesn’t certify air cleaners, and ozone generators aren’t recommended for occupied homes. A clean filter that your system can handle matters more. We’ll tell you what a product does and doesn’t do, and we won’t promise health results.

It depends on the home, so we write the price after the visit and before any work starts. The quote says what it covers and what it doesn’t. How pricing works has the details.

Where the city requires a permit, we pull it and the quote lists it. Sealing and insulation alone usually don’t need one; replacing a system or its ducts often does.

The quote spells out what the work covers and for how long. If it doesn’t say, ask before you sign.

Fabian Garibay and Gabriella Orellana do. Tell us when you call and one of them will take your visit.