Aeroseal - duct sealing process

[Anonymous]

Has any one had their ducts sealed using the Aeroseal technology? It was recommended to us by our energy auditor as a way to make temperatures more consistent throughout our house. Right now we often have a 4-5 degree difference between the thermostat temp on the first floor and the actual temp upstairs. (We only have a one zone system.) He thinks we could have enough leakage throughout the duct system that we're losing a lot of air into the walls and floor joists before it even makes it upstairs.

The auditor said our house is well insulated and that we're within the the recommended level for having our house sealed to the outside. So the best way to improve our comfort levels from upstairs to downstairs is to work on improvements within the envelope of the house. It seems to me that Aeroseal could be a good idea, but it's expensive enough (about $1,800) that I want to be sure we're not getting sold something we don't need.

I did a search on DCUM and came up with a few positive comments about Aeroseal, but at least two seemed to be from the same poster. I'm hoping to get input from a few more people to get a better idea for how this has worked (or not worked) for other homeowners. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

In general, sealing ductwork is always the #1 way to gain energy efficiency. I have not seen or used the aeroseal product, but for ducts that aren't exposed there is no great way to seal without ripping our drywall. I would paint-seal all of the exposed ducts first and see how that works.

Given that cost, I would also see if I could understand how my ducts were run. Part of this is the age of the home and how the ducts were built. And remember, if the air is leaking into conditioned space, it's not really lost within the building.

For that price you might also be able to use dampers and make it into a 2-zone system.

[Anonymous]

We did. It helped significantly. It was one part of many things we did to improve our gazebo, I mean house.

[Anonymous]

you need 2 zone heating

[Anonymous]

Yes, I did it and I think it was worth it.

The best thing was that they found a 12"x24" HOLE in my ductwork that was behind drywall in my workshop that had been there since construction. I never would have found it. They sealed it up. They said that large holes are quite common because of poor construction, and through the Aeroseal process they can find the larger ones.

Read up on DOE's materials about Aeroseal -- they think it's an excellent thing to do.

http://energy.gov/articles/breakthrough-berkeley-mist-sealant-technology-potential-save-americans-5b-year

[Anonymous]

The company website has lots of links to articles about the technology including very positive reviews from the U.S. Department of Energy, Consumer Reports, This Old House and others - http://www.aeroseal.com/news-events/industry-links.html.