Air Duct System Sealing by Breathable
Thorough · Professional · Capable · Reputable · Reliable · Insured
Why should you care about leaky air ducts? As numerous reputable sources have highlighted over the years (EnergyStar, the U.S. Department of Energy, The Washington Post, and CNET, to name a few), a leaky air duct system drains your bank account and can lead to poor indoor air quality.
Beyond their environmental (and financial) impact, leaky central air duct systems invite harmful airborne contaminants and odors from crawl spaces, attics, and "uncleanable" areas into your home. Leaky ducts could potentially create negative pressure (aka vacuum) in your home, further worsening air quality—especially during wildfire season.
Are my air ducts leaky? Leaky air ducts are very common—more than 90% of the air duct systems we've tested in the Bay Area had significant leakage. Air leakage can be rodent-related, caused by poor workmanship, lack of building code-mandated testing and sealing in older HVAC systems, or usual wear and tear.
As the Bay Area's one-stop shop for healthier and more energy-efficient air duct systems, our company can accurately test and seal most central air duct systems for a fraction of the cost of a full air duct system replacement (in some cases, less than 1/10th of the cost).
Our Process: Our approach to air duct testing and sealing begins by pressurizing the ducts with fog using a fog machine. Once pressurized, our team of 2-3 technicians inspects the ductwork. Wherever fog is visible, a leak is likely present. Each of our service packages includes the sealing of several duct connections to ensure immediate return on investment and a healthier duct system.
How Do We Seal Ducts? For most duct connections, we apply mastic tape, which is highly flexible and capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, unlike duct tape or most other types of foil tape. After applying the tape, we follow up with a paste form of mastic, also known as duct sealant, to provide an additional layer of sealing.
About Us: We have been in operation for 15 years. Our specialized team, though small (8 employees), has served over 10,000 members of the Bay Area's communities. In most homes we have worked on, we achieved significantly better results compared to inline-sprayed sealant applications like Aeroseal, but at a much lower cost due to our hands-on approach. Rather than operating spray-in equipment that has many limitations (usually limited to 1/8th inch gaps), we seek manual access to the duct joints—a necessity for cases in which a duct needs to be reconnected or when larger gaps need to be sealed, which is more common than not.
Get in touch with us today!
Our air duct-sealing packages
-
$299
Fog test leak detection.
Thorough inspection.
Re-sealing 5 connections/joints or vent-boots.
$60 per additional sealing of a duct connection/joint/boot.
-
$499
Fog test leak detection.
Thorough inspection.
Re-sealing 12 connections/joints or vent-boots.
$50 per additional sealing of a duct connection/joint/boot.
-
$999
Fog test leak detection.
Thorough inspection.
Re-sealing 30 connections/joints or vent-boots.
$40 per additional sealing of a duct connection/joint/boot.
The benefits of air duct sealing
Improved air quality
Sealed ducts help prevent unhealthy contaminants from circulating through your home.
Increased efficiency
Leaky ducts can reduce heating and cooling system efficiency by as much as 20%.
Environmental impact
A well-sealed air duct system means less energy is needed to heat or cool your home.
Air leakage can lead to poor indoor air quality.
Besides their environmental impact, leaky central air duct systems invite harmful airborne contaminants and odors from crawl spaces, attics, and "uncleanable" areas into your home. Leaky ducts could also potentially create negative pressure (AKA vacuum) in your home, which can further worsen air quality – much more so during wildfire season.
Most Bay Area homes have leaky ducts.
Leaky air ducts are very common – more than 90% of air duct systems we've tested in the Bay Area had leakage. Air leakage can be rodent-related, a result of poor workmanship, lack of building code-mandated testing and sealing in older HVAC systems, or usual wear-and-tear.
Breathable specializes in air leakage testing and sealing services.
As the Bay Area's one-stop shop for well-sealed air duct systems, Breathable can accurately test and seal most central air duct systems for a fraction of the cost of a full replacement (in some cases, at less than a 1/10th of the cost).
FAQ
-
Breathable has been in business since 2010.
-
Breathable provides services in most cities in Marin, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties.
-
Breathable also offers duct system repairs and adjustments, cleaning, replacement of ducts, design and installation of air duct systems, whole-house air purification integration, and heat pump installations.
-
Breathable is fully licensed, bonded, and insured. Our employees are insured (workers' compensation), and our CSLB number is 979977.
-
Anywhere from 1.5 hours to an entire day, depending on the service type, house size, number of vents, etc. The typical 1,000-1,500 square foot home can take 1.5-3 hours, while a 5,000-7,000 square foot home may take a day.
-
Our comprehensive process involves a larger team (typically three technicians) and additional equipment to accurately diagnose air leakage and airflow related issues. For instance, a typical 1,200 sq ft inspection would require 1.5-3 hours with our team of three, whereas most companies would finish an inspection within half an hour using a single technician. This approach allows us to provide a more thorough understanding of how to repair a duct system at a fraction of the cost of replacement.
-
Breathable is a locally owned small business in the Bay Area. We have no plans to franchise at the moment.
Improve your home's air quality and energy efficiency today!
Our Other Services
-
System Cleaning
A thorough cleaning of your heating/AC system's vents and ducts and other components.
-
Heat Pump Installation
Switch to a greener indoor comfort system with central air purification capabilities.
-
Whole House Air Purification
Protect your home against wildfire smoke particles and other common indoor air pollutants.
-
Air Duct System Replacement & Redesign
Breathable's low friction air duct systems are designed with comfort, air quality, and energy efficiency in mind.