Tight Ducts

In your ENERGY STAR qualified home, tight ducts ensure that your attic is not as cool as the rest of your house. ENERGY STAR qualified homes must have a tested duct leakage rate of 4% to 6% or lower. In contrast, a typical new home can have duct leaks of 25% to 30%, which can reduce the performance of your heating and cooling equipment by up to 50%.

ENERGY STAR qualified homes are inspected and tested to ensure that joints in the duct system are sealed tightly so that conditioned air does not leak into storage spaces such as attics and garages or within the wall cavity. Ducts that are sealed tightly are less likely to pull apart letting conditioned air out or unconditioned air into the duct system. This reduces the potential for dust and pollen to infiltrate your indoor air.

Not only can tight ducts contribute to a lower utility bill, but they may also improve the quality of air in your home and help maintain a uniform temperature throughout.

Performance is verified by using a duct testing fan, which measures air leaks in order to confirm the ducts are sealed to strict EPA standards.