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Improving the Efficiency of Your Duct System
U.S. Department of
Energy
Revised November 1999
THE DUCT SYSTEM, used in air heating and air cooling your home, is a collection of tubes that distributes the heated or cooled air to the various rooms. This system can make a big difference in both the cost and the effectiveness of heating and cooling the home. The duct system can have an important effect on health of the occupants through the distribution of indoor air pollution. Changes and repairs to a duct system should always be performed by a qualified professional.
This brochure is meant to help you understand the problems that can affect the duct system and how you can:
COMPONENTS OF THE DUCT SYSTEM
A duct system is a branching network of round or rectangular tubes - generally constructed of sheet metal, fiberglass board, or a flexible plastic-and-wire composite - located within the walls, floors, and ceilings. Usually, you can see only the outlet, which is a register covered with grillwork. Figure 1 shows a common type of duct system.
This system consists of supply ducts and return ducts. Central heating or cooling equipment (furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump) contains a fan that forces heated or cooled air into supply ducts leading to the rooms. The fan gets its air supply through return ducts, which in the best systems are installed in every room of the house. To save on installation costs, most homes have one or two return registers located in common areas such as hallways. (Some homes have no return duct systems. Such design shortcuts often result in lower efficiency and higher heating and cooling bills.)
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Energy Losses and Costs
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