3: Eliminate Leaks in Ducts
Leaky Ducts in a Manufactured Home make the AC or heater work overtime.
Most manufactured homes have forced-air heating systems. Air from the home is forced through the furnace, where it is warmed by a hot metal heat exchanger or electric heating coils. The warm air is then blown through a system of ducts, and out into each room through registers. In most mobile homes with central air conditioning, the same ducts are used for delivering chilled air during the summer.
The ducts in manufactured homes are commonly in the floor or in hotter climates they may be in the ceiling. Typically, each section of a manufactured home has a main trunk duct running its length. Multi-section mobile homes (such as double-wide units) usually have crossover ducts that connect the main trunk ducts. With ceiling-duct systems, the crossover is in the attic and usually inaccessible. In floor-duct systems, the crossover is beneath the home and accessible from the crawlspace.
Leaky ducts are common in older manufactured homes and can dramatically increase heating and cooling bills. It is not uncommon for an older duct system to lose 20% of the heated or chilled air to the outside. If your annual heating and cooling bill is $2,000 and your ducts are leaky, you could be spending $400 every year to heat and cool the outdoors.
Compared to other energy upgrade measures in a typical manufactured home, sealing the ductwork has one of the largest payoffs relative to its cost. You’ll save on your heating and cooling bills, enjoy increased comfort, and reduce the risk of moisture problems.
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