Duct cleaners may visibly observe insulation liner issues including:

  • Delamination of the liner adhesive from the duct walls,
  • Tears in the liner, locations where there is no edge sealer on the nosing of the liners at duct connections
  • Overall degradation of the liner’s physical characteristics over time as indoor air quality complaints come into the picture.

Some solutions include fiberglass surface repair coatings that provide both measurable HVAC system performance improvements along with indoor air quality (IAQ) benefits.

HVAC system performance improvements may also include slight internal duct sealing and reduction in duct leakage for internally-lined metal ducts. Keep in mind that fiberglass surface repair coatings are not designed for or intended for use as a ‘duct sealant’.

Zach Ortwine’s (center) efforts in duct renovation and collaboration with High-Performance
HVAC contractors earned him National Comfort Institute’s (NCI) 2024 Small Contractor
of the Year award, highlighting his innovative contributions to the industry.
He joined NCI in 2023 — becoming one of the first duct cleaning contractors to join
the organization. He has earned certifications in Duct System Optimization,
Residential HVAC System Performance, and Residential Air Balancing.

Slight performance improvements may occur as a byproduct of the coating application procedure which involves using an airless paint sprayer.

HVAC system performance improvements include:

  • A reduction in surface friction which is a characteristic of the fiberglass liner material
  • Reduced static pressure — as air moves across the ductwork, airflow increases, which reduces in filter and coil contaminant loading intervals.

Duct Board

Duct board shares many of the same potential benefits of internally-lined metal ducts, with the exception of providing measurable reduction of duct leakage due to the way duct board systems are fabricated and assembled.

The primary synergy involves installing a fiberglass surface repair coating after duct cleaning, but an additional opportunity exists where duct board connections result in edges that protrude far enough into the airstream.

Think of a duct ‘bowing’ because it was forced to fit into a space that it wasn’t sized correctly to fit within. Duct renovators can modify the existing ‘bowed in’ or ‘bowed out’ duct board trunk to provide better alignment and support.

Another potential issue that duct cleaners may find is an improperly sized duct board installation that doesn’t have the structural integrity to hold up against the HVAC blower fan.

“Collapsed Ductwork” can occur with an undersized or partially blocked return duct board trunk. Ductwork can collapse when the blower tries to pull in enough air to achieve the fan speed setting but doesn’t have the natural or ‘allowable leakage’ to facilitate this air pathway to the blower.

Added Value for the Customer

High-Performance HVAC contractors who understand the value to their customers of both duct cleaning and duct renovating can grow their businesses and profits.

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