Air conditioners do a lovely job of keeping homes cool when it is hot outside. However, you could be losing some of that cool air if the ductwork in your home is old and outdated. This actually decreases your home's ability to maintain a steady temperature and decreases the efficiency of your air conditioner, too. Here is how you can make adjustments to your ductwork to make your A/C more efficient.

Hire an HVAC Contractor

First and foremost, you could stand underneath the the metal ventilation ducts in your home, waiting for the A/C to kick on and then placing your hands on and around every seam of the vent duct to check for cold air leaks. You could do all that, or you could hire an HVAC contractor. The contractor would know exactly what to look and feel for, and use high-tech methods to track leaks in the ducts and vents. Then the contractor can give you a quote for repairs and modifications.

Re-Sealing the Seams

The first step in the process is to reseal the seams. The HVAC contractor may use clear caulk, or he/she may use solder and a soldering iron. The solder and soldering iron will last longer because it is metal on metal, allowing the solder to heat up and cool down along with the metal vents and ducts. The clear caulk will hold, but it is more like to crack and peel over time.

Removing, Closing, and/or Blocking Vents Built into the Ducts

Some old homes have vents built right into the ducts that run through the basements. The purpose for these vents was to keep old farmhouse basements warm so that when farmers came in from the fields to take a shower and wash up in the basements, the basements were not freezing cold. Now, they are fairly useless, unless you have finished most of your basement and use it as bedroom or family room space. If your basement is just a basement, the technician can remove, close, or block these vents so that all of the cool and hot air does not head into the basement while enroute to the rest of the house.

Replacing Damaged Ducts

Damaged ducts leak. You may not be able to feel or see the leaks, but they are there. Any damaged ductwork, like any other air conditioning repair, needs to be replaced so that everything continues to function as expected.

For more information, contact companies like Environmental Contractors.