The Process

AEROSEAL DUCT SEALING – THE PROCESS

Aeroseal Process

Aeroseal Duct Sealing is a patented breakthrough technology that tackles leaks from the inside out. Aeroseal software allows the Basnett Plumbing, Heating & AC technician to accurately measure the duct leakage in a residential home. The Aeroseal process puts escaping air under pressure and causes polymer particles to stick first to the edges of a leak, then to each other until the leak is closed.  The technology was developed within the Indoor Environment Program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, whose IAQ scientists tested it. The research was funded by US Environmental protection agency, US Department of Energy, Electric Power Research Institute and California Institute of Energy and Environment.

Introduction – Air Duct System Diagnostic & Sealing Process

The patented Aeroseal sealing process is the most effective, affordable, and viable method of sealing the central heating & cooling and ventilation ductwork in residential homes.  The Aeroseal process won the "Best of What’s New" award from Popular Science magazine, and the "Energy 100" award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The DOE also rated the Aeroseal duct sealing process as one of the 23 most beneficial technologies available to American consumers that has come out since the agency was created.

Sealing the air duct system in your entire home typically takes only 4–8 hours. You’ll immediately receive energy savings and a noticeable improvement in home comfort. The Aeroseal duct sealing system effectively seals residential home’s ductwork from the inside by using a UL tested and approved sealing material. It’s clean, safe, and guaranteed for 10 years in a residential application.

The Diagnosis & Inspection

In an Aeroseal air duct diagnostic, a certified Basnett Plumbing, Heating & AC Aeroseal technician inspects and evaluates your central air duct system and recommends ways to maximize your savings and improve your home comfort and efficiency and solve air flow/ventilation problems.  Major factors during inspections are construction practices, type of duct work, age of the home, hot or cold or stuffy rooms, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) problems, high energy bills, etc. Basnett Plumbing, Heating & AC’s Aeroseal–trained and certified technicians use computer–based tools and reports to gather information about duct leakage and register airflows.

Seal & Verify

To start the Aeroseal duct sealing process, all room, ceiling or floor registers are replaced with foam plugs.  A small access hole is cut into the supply or return air plenum and a temporary collar is attached. The air conditioning indoor coil, fan, and furnace are temporarily blocked with a foam plug to avoid the entrance of any sealing particles into this equipment. Once the system is properly sealed, the patented injection machine is connected to the air duct system using a flexible plastic tube. The exclusive Aeroseal duct sealing system injects adhesive particles into the air duct system. The particles travel through the air duct system seeking holes and cracks that are located throughout the ductwork. The adhesive duct sealing particles attach directly onto the edges of any hole and crack, effectively sealing it without coating the inside of the ductwork.

Results – Measuring the Duct Seal

Once the Aeroseal air duct sealing is complete, the technician will again measure the duct system leakage.  A sealing certificate and a tightness certification are generated by the computer. The sealing certificate shows duct leakage amounts before and after sealing, as well a graph of the sealing process, plus overall heating or cooling capacity improvement. The tightness certification, affixed to your duct system, shows the tightness of the duct system after completion of the sealing process.

Duct Sealing Certification

When the sealing process is completed, the results are verified and provided to the customer.

Duct Sealing Warranty

The air sealing system results are guaranteed for 10 years for residential homes.

Technology  

This technology internally seals duct leaks in air distribution ducts by injecting a fog of aerosolized sealant particles into a pressurized duct system.  The key to the technology is to keep the particles suspended within the air stream without depositing on the duct surfaces until they reach the leaks, where they leave the air stream, deposit at the leak edges, and seal the leaks.

Aerosol particles are directed toward and deposit at the ductwork leaks because:

• All supply, return and exhaust grilles are temporarily sealed, so that all the airflow passes through the ductwork leaks;
• Small Aerosol particles are kept suspended in the airflow by continuous air movement;
• As the air stream makes a sharp turn to exit through a leak, the particles collide with and adhere to the leak edges; and
• Using adhesive solid particles allows the built–up seal to span leaks as much as 5/8 inch wide.