Unfortunately, many homes have duct systems that lose lots of heat through air leaks and insufficient insulation. Properly designed and maintained ducts help your furnace work at peak efficiency, saving you money on energy bills. If your energy bills seem overly high, duct maintenance could make your home more efficient. Fixing air leaksSealing your ducts will probably increase your home's energy efficiency. Some homes lose as much as 35 percent of heated or air conditioned air due to duct leaks. It's easiest to have a professional find and seal duct leaks, but you may be able to repair some leaks yourself. To seal leaks yourself, use duct mastic, butyl tape or foil tape rather than duct tape. Duct tape breaks down too quickly. Look for areas where your ducts are accessible and check for holes or cracks to repair.Duct insulationDucts tend to lose energy through improper insulation. For example, ducts that run along uninsulated attic walls are not very efficient. If you can see exposed ductwork in your home or know that your ducts sit inside uninsulated walls, it's a good idea to ask a contractor about improving your duct insulation. If your duct system is over 10 years old, it's possible it only started with an R factor of 4. Today, the new codes require an R factor of double that.Ductwork designProper ductwork design distributes heated or air conditioned air evenly throughout your house. Smoothly curving ductwork and smooth ductwork materials help your ductwork distribute air as efficiently as possible. Check for sharp angles in your ductwork or ducts that are made out of materials other than smooth sheet metal. As part of your routine duct maintenance, have your contractor assess your ductwork design. Make sure your ductwork is the right size, allowing proper air flow to and from the unit. By not having the correct sized ductwork, capacity and efficiency can be cut by over half.Cost vs. benefit It will likely cost some money to have duct maintenance performed. Luckily, the long-term energy savings from efficient ductwork usually make up for maintenance costs. A licensed and experienced HVAC contractor can help you determine whether sealing, insulating or redesigning your ductwork might save you money in the long run. Currently, PSO even has programs to help you pay for it now!For help with duct maintenance in the Tulsa area, contact the friendly experts at Air Assurance.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our websiteto see our current promotionsand get started today! Duct image via Shutterstock