Have you noticed that some rooms in your building tend to be warmer or cooler than others? Sometimes this is due to placement of the room. For example, if a room is in the north corner of a building with little sun exposure, it will tend to be cooler than other rooms in the building.

However, placement isn’t everything. If you notice that a room or space in your building is not getting cooled or heated as efficiently as you think it should, check the airflow into the room. If you have leaking ducts, you could quickly lose airflow into one or more rooms. This will make your whole system work harder to keep those rooms cooled or heated. This will drive your utilities bills up, and added stress on the system can lead to more damage and need for repairs.

You might be surprised how much energy (and money) your heating and air conditioning system is losing to unmaintained and damaged ducting. Because they are so rigid, old sheet metal ducts tend to separate at their connections as age and the settling of your building takes place.