Ductwork · Repair
One warm bedroom, a whistle at a register, a damp spot on the ceiling. Most duct problems come down to one failed run or connection, and they can be fixed without replacing the whole system.
Most duct problems don't announce themselves as duct problems. They show up as a room that won't cool while the rest of the house is fine, weak airflow from one or two registers, a system that seems to run longer than it used to, or a damp spot on the ceiling under a run. In a typical Broward home the cause is in the attic, in a part of the system nobody has looked at since it was installed.
When the problem is limited to a run or a connection, it can be repaired on its own. The common repairs are:
A repair makes sense when the rest of the system is in good shape. If the inspection finds the same failures across many runs, such as brittle jackets, connections letting go and insulation breaking down, then duct replacement is usually the better value, and fixing one run at a time will keep costing money. If the problem is a room that was never comfortable, even when the ducts were new, the cause may be the layout itself. That is an airflow and duct design question rather than a repair.
We'll tell you which situation you're in and show you what we saw. The choice between a repair and a bigger fix is yours.
Repairing a damaged run restores the airflow that run was designed to deliver. It can't make an undersized run carry more air, and it won't fix a system that doesn't have enough return. Water on the floor under the air handler is usually a drain problem rather than a duct problem; see AC leaking water. And if the coil is icing over, low airflow is one possible cause among several covered under frozen coils.
Pick a condition to see where the air goes, what you would notice, and how hard the blower works.
A run pinched under attic storage or bent sharply at a takeoff delivers a fraction of its air. The rest of the house is fine, and one room never catches up.
When one room won't coolBlower effort
Normal
What you notice
Cooled air pours into the attic instead of the room. The room stays warm, the attic gets cold and damp, and the system runs longer to make up for it.
Blower effort
Lower than it should be
What you notice
Supply air reaches every room through sealed, supported runs, and enough air returns to the air handler to keep the blower in its comfortable range.
How airflow gets measuredBlower effort
Normal
What you notice
The same five places account for most of what goes wrong.
Runs that have slipped off their collars are refitted, mechanically fastened and sealed.
Crushed, torn or collapsed lengths of flex are cut out and replaced with new duct of the right size.
Runs lying on joists or hanging in bellies are strapped and supported along their length.
Boots that have pulled away from the ceiling, lost their insulation or rusted are refastened, insulated or replaced. That is often what stops a vent from sweating.
Joints at collars, takeoffs and plenums that have let go are refastened and sealed as part of the repair.
Start with the symptom
Which rooms, since when, and whether anything changed in the attic, such as new storage, other trades working up there or a recent storm.
Trace and measure
The runs to the affected rooms are traced from the plenum to the register, and airflow or temperature at the register is checked.
Show you what failed
You see what we found, with photos from the attic when they help, and what the repair involves before the work starts.
Repair what failed
Reconnect, replace or re-support the damaged run and fasten and seal the connections it depends on.
Check it again
The same register is measured after the repair so the difference is visible.
Repairs keep adding up?
When the failures are spread across the attic, replacing the ductwork can cost less over time than fixing one run after another. Answer a few questions to see a rough range for repair or replacement. It's not a quote.
The on-site duct evaluation is free.
The most common reasons are in the ductwork serving that room: a run that has come off its fitting, a crushed or kinked section, or a run that is too long or too small for the room. Sun exposure and a closed door with no way for air to return also play a part. Measuring the airflow and temperature at that room's register usually points to the cause.
Tape alone rarely holds for long in a South Florida attic. The heat dries out the adhesive and the joint lets go again. A lasting repair refits the duct on its collar, fastens it mechanically and seals it. The attic itself is also a hazard in summer, and stepping between ceiling joists can put a foot through the ceiling, so this is a job best left to a technician.
Tell us which room and when it started. That narrows the search before anyone climbs into the attic.
Florida license CAC1821225
