Duct Work Maintenance Tips
Duct work is a common source of wasted energy and proper maintenance is needed to ensure the highest efficiency possible from your system.
Common Duct Work Leaks must be repaired first Before you can perform any maintenance of your duct work you must first repair any and all leaks in your duct work, these tips are for systems that have been installed or repaired correctly and have no leaks.

Duct work should be inspected annually for common issues and repairs completed. While you may expect duct work to be the same every year in many cases issues do crop up that need attention. In most cases the initial inspection requires several repairs and each subsequent inspection usually requires minimal effort.
Repair torn and damaged insulation Flexible duct work in attic and crawl spaces tends to move ever so slightly over time which creates issues with kinked flexible insulated duct work and sagging flex duct work. The flexible duct should be secured to prevent sagging and prevent kinks.
Flexible duct work in many cases is found to be laying on the floor of the attic or crawl space causing kinks and in some cases rodent infestation and or water intrusion. Duct work should be secure off the floor as much as is possible.
Flexible Duct Work should not be kinked Broken or damaged insulation should be repaired when found to prevent energy losses and rodent intrusion. utilize foil tape to seal up the insulation as duct tape does not last and deteriorates and losses it seal in a short time.
Any duct tape used on metal duct work should be removed and the surface cleaned, metal seams should be repaired and then sealed using a duct mastic which seals the duct permanently and will not crack over time.
All exposed metal duct work should be insulated, in some cases the insulation is on Duct work laying on the floor of a crawl space the inside of the duct, this can be easily detected by tapping on the metal surface, if it sounds hollow and tinny then more than likely there is no insulation inside the duct.
Dirt stains at your supply registers is an indication of duct leaks, unless of course you do not maintain your air filters. Dust will be sucked into the return duct usually after the filters and distributed throughout the home.