Ductwork Repair, Inspection and Installation

Replacement of the Heating & Air system is one of the biggest expenses a homeowner will have to endure. Often the home owner has not put money aside to pay for a new HVAC System, so many times customers opt out on upgrading the ductwork. It does not make sense to buy a new energy efficient heating and cooling unit, while keeping the old, certainly less efficient and sub-standard duct system. Cost is the main reason homeowners do not replace existing duct systems, allowing the contractor to retrofit the new equipment to an existing duct system. Most HVAC contractors advise against this, explaining that not replacing the duct system adds unnecessary stress to the equipment.  Contractors are the other reason, only wanting to replace the equipment, saying that there is no money in duct replacement and requiring too many man hours.

Existing Ductwork Is Most Often

• Not sealed properly, if they are sealed at all
• Not sized properly (using industry guidelines)
• Full of trash and debris
• Crushed, installed on the ground and not supported properly
• Have excessive amounts of flex ducting

Newer Homes are no exception and are sometimes worse than an older home. HVAC companies today install excessive amounts of flex due to the ease of installation and cheaper cost of the material. Improper sizing and excessive lengths of the flex duct create more stress on the system, therefore significantly reducing the life of the equipment. 

Duct Replacement Benefits

• Efficiency – Save up to 30% – 40% on electricity bills when you upgrade a leaky duct system
• Improved Indoor Air Quality – No more pulling old musky air from under the house
• Home Comfort – with a properly designed and sealed system we can insure you that every room in the house will receive the correct amount of air flow
• Extended Life of the System – taking the unnecessary stress and long run times off of the system with a properly sized ductwork will help extend the life of the system protecting your investment.

At A-1 Hobbs, our installers are amoung the best at duct installation, producing tightly sealed, neatly installed high quality duct installations. We offer a wide range of duct related services specializing in duct removal and replacement, duct assessment and testing, duct design and air duct sealing.  We can handle all of your ducting needs so give us a call and have one of our technicians give you a full assessment today.

Ductwork Removal and Replacement

• Removal of all ductwork, insulation and debris from Crawl Space or the attic area
• Ductwork design using the equipments manufacture specifications and Manual D (Residential Duct Design) software
• Install new duct system to meet or exceed industries standards and local building codes
• Pressurize duct system to verify air leakage to comply with Georgia energy standards

Assessment & Testing

• A-1 Hobbs is trained and certified to perform duct leakage testing to confirm air leakage
• We can inspect the existing duct system and make recommendations on replacement, repair, or sealing
• Confirm and diagnose why certain areas are not maintaining proper temperature, why strange odors exist inside the home, and why the  crawl space is cooler than inside the home

Design

A-1 Hobbs Indoor Specialists design every new duct system according to the rigid guidelines published by ACCA standards and utilizing the latest manual D design software.  Air flow is one of the most critical aspects of the design process. Studies show that 70% of the residential systems installed have inadequate air flow. Proper air flow starts with the duct design process and without proper air flow the system:

•  Loses efficiency
•  Short cycles or has excessive run time
•  Shortens the life of the equipment

Return locations, supply locations, filter grill sizes, filters, total length of duct, number of fittings and system performance are just a few variables we take into consideration when designing a duct system.

Air Sealing

The main function of your duct system is to distribute air throughout your home.  Now, imagine it being riddled with leaks.  If the body of your system is filled with gaps, it will be difficult to maintain consistent temperatures inside your home.  As a result, you won't be able to achieve a comfortable indoor environment.

• The 2006 International Residential Code (IRC) requires (in section N1103.22) that ducts, air handlers, filter boxes and building cavities used as ducts be sealed. Everywhere in section M1601.3.1 the IRC requires that joints of duct systems shall be made airtight by means of tapes, mastics, gasketing and other approved closure systems. Duct tape is not acceptable.
• A-1 Hobbs is certified to test the duct system to determine leakage, replace or repair, correcting the problem areas.
• Supply and return plenums and equipment doors can often be where larger leaks are found due to equipment vibration, tapes and mastics where improperly installed.
• Air duct sealing qualifies for a rebate from Georgia Power.  Contact Georgia Power for full details.