Maintaining a consistent temperature in your house can be tricky if your air ducts are leaking. During the winter, you'll end up having to crank up your thermostat to keep your house warm. This is especially true for the ducts that exit the furnace and enter your house. Since this exposed section is located in a basement or garage, the heat loss can be especially severe. This article explains how you can fix this problem by taping the duct seams and then wrapping the ducts in insulation. This is a simple job that will definitely make your furnace more effective.

Clear the Area Around Your Ducts and Furnace

First of all, you need to clear the area around your ducts. Many people tend to stack or store a lot of random things around the furnace. This can definitely be risky, especially if you happen to knock the ducts loose.

Taping Your Ducts

While you might already have duct tape lying around the house, you want to use aluminum foil tape. This is completely air tight and much stickier than duct tape. You should definitely double-wrap the seams to make sure there's no risk of them getting knocked loose again.

Adding Insulation

Once you're done taping, you should wrap your seams with fiberglass insulation. This comes in large rolls that are easy to apply. The fiberglass is rated according to climate regions. You can easily find the proper insulation for your climate if you are buying directly from a local store. The insulation is very itchy, so make sure you wear a long-sleeved shirt and gloves. Try to keep it off of your skin at all costs.

When you wrap the fiberglass around the ducts, you can use normal duct tape to secure it. Tape one end securely to the duct and then wrap it all the away around the duct. Like with the tape, you can double-wrap the insulation for more protection. Your goal should be to cover every square inch of the ducting so no metal is exposed.

The ducts, now wrapped in insulation, might look a little unsightly. However, it is well worth the added efficiency it will provide your furnace. In fact, this will help your furnace during the summer too, because cold air is pumped through the furnace from the AC unit. This is a worthwhile upgrade if you are trying to reduce your utility bills.

For more information on how to increase the efficiency of your furnace, contact a heating service in your area.