Duct Sealing, Cleaning and Repair in Las Vegas, NV
Your ducts carry every bit of air your system heats or cools. When they leak, sag or come apart in a hot attic, comfort drops and bills climb. We test, seal, clean, repair and replace ductwork.
- 24/7 emergency service
- Licensed technicians
- All makes and models
Signs your ductwork needs attention
Ducts are out of sight, so their problems get blamed on the air conditioner. A system can be in good working order and still leave rooms uncomfortable because the air it cools never arrives. These are the usual clues:
- One or two rooms that never match the thermostat setting
- Weak airflow at some registers and strong flow at others
- Summer electric bills rising with no change in how you live
- Dust that returns quickly, or dark streaks around registers
- Whistling, rattling or a booming sound when the blower starts
- An attic or dusty smell when the system kicks on
- Flexible duct in the attic that is kinked, flattened, sagging or torn
Any of these is a reason to have the ducts tested before spending money on new equipment.
Why attic ducts have it hard in Las Vegas
With most valley homes built on slabs and few with basements, the ductwork usually runs through the attic. On a summer afternoon that attic is far hotter than the air outside, and the ducts sit in it for months while the air conditioner runs hard.
A leak on the supply side blows air you paid to cool into the attic. A leak on the return side is worse in some ways: it draws hot, dusty attic air straight into the system, which adds to the cooling load and carries dust past the filter. Thin or damaged duct insulation lets the air warm up before it reaches the room, so the far bedrooms get the least cooling.
Heat also ages the materials. The outer jacket on older flexible duct turns brittle and splits, tape dries out and lets go, and joints at the plenum and ceiling boots work loose. Anyone who has crawled through the attic to run cable may have crushed a duct without knowing it.
Duct testing and sealing
Testing replaces guesswork with numbers. We inspect the accessible ductwork, measure static pressure at the equipment, compare airflow and temperature at the registers, and can pressurize the duct system with a calibrated fan to measure how much air it leaks. That shows whether the problem is leakage, a restriction, poor layout or all three.
Sealing is done with mastic, a thick paste brushed over joints and seams, and with foil tape rated for ductwork. Ordinary cloth duct tape does not last in attic heat. We seal the connections at the plenums, the takeoffs, the joints between sections and the gaps where register boots meet the ceiling. Then we repair or add insulation and test again to confirm the improvement. Sealed ducts also help your air filtration do its job, since all the air goes through the filter.
Duct cleaning, repair and replacement
Ducts do not need cleaning on a fixed schedule. It is worth doing when there is a reason: debris left from construction or remodeling, signs of rodents or insects, visible mold growth inside the ducts, or enough built-up dust that it blows out of the registers. Proper cleaning puts the system under suction with a powerful vacuum while brushes or compressed air loosen the debris, and it includes the registers and the blower compartment. If mold is present, the moisture source has to be found and fixed or it will return.
Repairs include reconnecting separated runs, replacing crushed or torn sections, re-supporting sagging flex duct and adding return air where the system is starved for it. Replacement makes sense when the ducts are brittle throughout, badly undersized or poorly laid out. The best time is during an AC replacement, when new ducts can be sized to match the new equipment.
Booking a duct inspection
Call 702-497-0888 and tell us which rooms are the problem and when they are at their worst. A licensed technician will inspect and test the system, show you what turned up, and lay out the options from simple sealing to full replacement, with the reasoning behind each. If the test shows the ducts are sound, we will say so and look at the equipment instead, whatever its make or model. For larger jobs, financing is available on approved credit.
Frequently asked questions
Still have a question? Call 702-497-0888.
How do I know if my ducts are leaking?
The common signs are rooms that stay warm, high cooling bills, a dusty house and weak airflow at some registers. You can look in the attic for disconnected or torn ducts and for dark, dusty patches on duct insulation, which mark spots where air has been escaping. The only way to measure leakage is a duct pressure test done with a calibrated fan.
How often should air ducts be cleaned?
Only when there is a reason, not on a calendar. Clean them after a dusty remodel, if rodents or insects have been in the ducts, if you can see mold growth inside, or if dust and debris blow out of the registers. For ordinary household dust, a well-fitting filter changed on time and sealed return ducts do more than periodic cleaning.
Can I seal my own ducts?
You can seal joints you can reach safely, using mastic or foil tape made for ducts, not cloth duct tape. Be careful in the attic: it is dangerously hot in summer, so work early in the morning or wait for cooler months, and step only on framing, never on the ceiling drywall. Leaks buried under insulation or at the plenum usually need a professional.
Should I replace my ducts when I replace my air conditioner?
Not automatically, but have them tested first. Ducts in good condition can often be sealed and reused. If they are brittle, undersized or leaking in many places, replacing them along with the equipment is the practical time to do it, because the system is already apart and the new ducts can be sized for the new unit's airflow.
Will sealing my ducts lower my electric bill?
It usually reduces how long the air conditioner has to run, because more of the cooled air reaches the rooms and less hot attic air is drawn in. How much that changes your bill depends on how leaky the ducts were to begin with, so we do not promise a number. Better comfort in the problem rooms is often the first change you notice.
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Schedule service
Tell us what is going on and we will call you back to set a time. For anything urgent, the phone is fastest.
702-497-0888- 24/7 emergency service
- 3200 Kings Way, Las Vegas, NV 89102
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