Way of Finding Duct Leaks
While a blower door test is the best way to locate duct leaks, you can often locate supply duct leaks with your hand because supply leaks blow air out. However, return leaks draw air in, so you won’t be able to feel them easily. Duct repair professionals use a smoke pencil to detect return leaks. A leaky return duct draws in a puff of smoke. You may be able to detect return leaks using a smoke canister, incense, or by moving a lightweight piece of tissue over the ducts.
It is easiest to detect leaks in un-insulated ductwork. However, insulated ducts can also have significant duct leakage. The fiberglass insulation covering the ducts is not an effective air seal. The inside surface of this insulation can offer clues to whether the ducts leak. Look for streaks in the insulation, which appear as dirt is filtered from air passing through duct leaks.
As a general rule, it is most important to fix large holes first, such as a disconnected duct or gaps between pieces of ductwork and the holes closest to the air handler because the pressure is greatest there.
Source:Home Energy Library
Hello,
I am in need of intelligent, professional response(s) to this severe ventilation problem. Found this site/blog via a lot of searching. Certainly hope you or others from this blog can help. I have no experience with blogging and limited vision so cannot spend a lot of time scanning other places.
My husband and I live in a 1 bedroom townhouse-style apartment that is part of a 6 unit complex. We have two shared walls with other tenants. The unit has central heat/air. We have lived here over 11 years . I was told that our “central ac” is actually different than regular central a.c. It operates like a radiator? ( that was the analogy given) —-air pushed across tubes or pipes that is either filled with hot or cold water. There is a rooftop unit for each apartment.
In the last year we now have tenants on both sides of us that are chain smokers who are home most of the time. Multiple people in each unit that smoke cigarettes and possible cigars in one. I am extremely allergic and have asthma.
Smoke from the other apartments is coming into our unit every time they smoke. We have plugged holes around pipes with foam, we have caulked we have duct taped. The foam did absolutely nothing to stop the smoke coming through the wall where our stairs adjoin. I already had 2 air portable air purifiers that don’t make a dent in this.
One neighbors cooking smoke and perfumes also come in. The biggest amount of smoke is coming in through our air conditioning vents – even when the air conditioning is NOT on. I asked 2 air conditioning repair people about this and both said this is not possible. They said we had a closed system. Our landlord doesn’t seem to think this is possible, either.
It is definitely possible and it is happening round the clock except when the neighbors sleep. We are opening windows when we can but need to use air conditioning due to my allergies and asthma.
I think this is a duct problem in addition to a construction issue. I don’t anticipate our landlord doing anything re: construction. I would like to know if there is anything that can be done re: the ducts – if that is the problem. Is it possible for the ductwork to have seal problems or leaks and for the ambient smoke that is passing through the our walls to enter our ducts and then pass into our apartment?
K. Glazer
It may be due to duct leakage or your room ventilation is not proper.If you can not take care of them, I think, it would be wise for you to buy one ROOM AIR FRESHENER and perhaps that would solve your present problem.