Duct Replacement & Repair in Contra Costa

Common signs are rooms that never get enough air, a big temperature difference between floors, dusty rooms, ducts you can see sagging or crushed in the attic, torn insulation, or a system that runs constantly. Age matters too, since flex duct from the 1980s and 1990s often breaks down in hot attics. A duct inspection and airflow test show whether repair or full replacement makes sense.

Usually it is airflow, not the equipment. The duct to that room may be disconnected, kinked, too small or too long, or the room may have no return path when the door is closed. Rooms over garages and west-facing rooms also take on more heat. We measure airflow at the registers and trace the duct to find the cause, then fix the run or redesign it.

Usually. Under California's Title 24 energy code, replacing the indoor or outdoor unit of a split system generally triggers a duct leakage test by an ECC (formerly HERS) rater. Existing ducts must test at or below 10% total leakage or 7% leakage to the outside, or pass an alternative test. Ducts that fail need sealing or replacement before the permit can close.

If the ducts are in good shape but a few runs are disconnected, crushed or leaky, repair and sealing are usually enough. If the flex duct is brittle, the insulation is falling apart, or the layout never delivered enough air, replacement costs less over time than repeated patching. Replacing ducts at the same time as your equipment is also cheaper than doing them later as a separate job.

Yes. Leaky return ducts in the attic or crawlspace pull in dust, insulation fibers and hot, dirty air, then spread it through the house. That shows up as dust on furniture, musty smells and allergy flare-ups, and it gets worse on wildfire smoke days. Sealing or replacing the ducts and using a good filter cuts down on what gets pulled in.