How to Improve Furnace Airflow

Improving furnace airflow requires a preliminary inspection.

Improving your furnace’s airflow helps warm air spread throughout your home more quickly and efficiently during cold winter months. Because the furnace does not have to work as hard or long to deliver warm air through your house, optimized air flow saves on energy costs and reduces costly maintenance problems over time.

Things You'll Need

• Mask
• Gloves
• Mastic sealant
• Metal tape
• Silicone caulking
• Air filter
• Vacuum cleaner

Instructions

1. Inspect your ductwork. Don personal protective equipment such as a mask and goggles to prevent debris from getting into your eyes and nose during your inspection. Search for holes in the ducts. This includes both the supply ducts (the warm air ducts that deliver heat to the house from the top of your furnace) and the return ducts (the cold air ducts that draw cold air in from outside). Use mastic sealant or metal tape to cover the holes and keep the ducts airtight.

2. Inspect the areas where the ducts connect to spot any areas where the ducts have separated from one another and produced a gap that allows air to escape. If old duct tape is found in these areas, remove it and apply silicone caulking to the duct connection areas instead.

3. Clean your air duct grilles and registers using a vacuum cleaner wherever you see a buildup of dust and debris. Vacuum inside the ducts as far as you can reach. Hire a professional duct-cleaning company to clean your ducts if they have not been professionally cleaned for over 10 years.

4. Look for the air filter located in the area of the return register or the central fan unit. Remove the old, dirty filter and install a new one, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Do this several times during the furnace season -- as often as once a month in the winter -- to keep the furnace airflow strong.

5. Hire a professional company to complete an inspection and tune-up of your furnace once a year. Ask the company to pinpoint and fix any air leaks as well as to measure furnace airflow to ensure it meets the furnace manufacturer’s specifications.

References

• EnergyStar: Heat and Cool Efficiently
• U.S. Department of Energy; Improving the Efficiency of Your Duct System; November 1999
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.: Should You Get Your Heating Ducts Cleaned?
• "The Seattle Times;" When (and How) to Clean Furnace Ducts; Karen Youso; February 24, 2007
• EnergyStar: Duct Sealing