Ductwork distributes the air in homes with forced-air heating and cooling. Unfortunately, about 20 percent of heated or conditioned air gets lost because of leaks or poor connections. It might be tempting to pull out your roll of duct tape to make repairs. But despite its name, duct tape is not a viable solution for sealing your air ducts. When it comes to air conditioning repair in Los Gatos, CA you want to leave it up to professionals and not a handy roll of tape. Here is why:
Duct Tape Can’t Handle the Heat
Duct tape can adhere to even the toughest surfaces and is able to withstand many things. However, it does not hold up well against the extreme temperature changes in the air ducts. Heating cycles can cause the adhesives on duct tape to break down. Eventually, the duct tape weakens and ends up falling right off.
Duct Tape Doesn’t Resist Moisture
Duct tape might be great for a short-term job. But it is terrible at resisting moisture over prolonged periods of time—especially moisture from the inside out. So any sweating or condensation from the duct cooling system will weaken adhesion. And again, the tape will simply fall off.
Duct Tape Will Disintegrate
Over time the adhesives on the duct tape will simply weaken and deteriorate. Even without the extreme temperature changes and condensation, eventually, the tape will dry out, wear out, and stop sticking.
Then Why Is It Called Duct Tape?
People assume duct tape was developed specifically for carrying out repairs to ductwork. That isn’t true. During WWII a female factory worker helped develop this special tape to keep moisture out of ammunition cases. It was waterproof, and durable, but could easily be torn and removed by hand. It was originally labeled as “duck” tape because it was made from a cotton duck fabric (a strong fabric where threads make a crisscross pattern) that repelled water. The tape was army-green, and much like users today, the military discovered that it had a variety of uses.
After the war, the tape became available to civilians. And because the housing market was booming, manufacturers started producing the versatile tape for a wide range of uses. One manufacturer changed the color to the well-known silver of today and began selling the tape as a means to connect air conditioning and heating ducts—hence the name change to “duct” tape. But it has never been a long-term solution for air duct repairs.
What Products Should I Use to Seal Ductwork?
When sealing up ductwork it is imperative you use proper materials. Mastic sealant or foil sealant tape is often the best solution. These products can help seal duct leaks you may have in the attic, garage, basement, or crawlspace. Connections where the ducts meet the registers and vents should also be well sealed.
Need help with duct sealing and air conditioning repair in Los Gatos, CA? Call our experts today. With over 25 years of experience, the professionals of Pelle Heating & Air Conditioning can get the job done right at a fair price.
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