Ductwork Inspection

Total external static pressure first, because that single number tells us whether the duct system can support the blower it has. Elevated static means the system is fighting the ducts every minute it runs, and it explains weak cooling, coil freezing, blower failures, and furnace limit trips all at once.

Then airflow and delivery: airflow at the equipment, temperature split across the coil, and register-by-register measurement so we can see which rooms are actually short. A room that reads 40% below its design airflow has a duct problem, not a thermostat problem.

Then the physical system: leak detection at the plenum, trunk, branch takeoffs, and boots, disconnected or partially disconnected runs, sagging and kinked flex, crushed sections, insulation condition and R-value, return capacity relative to the equipment, filter slot fit and bypass, and evidence of pest activity or moisture. You get photographs of what we find in the attic, because most homeowners are never going to see it themselves.

You get a written report with the measurements, the photos, and a prioritized list — what is costing you the most, what is cheap to fix, and what can wait. Priority matters here: sealing a return leak in a hot attic often returns more comfort per dollar than any other change, while a cosmetic issue can sit for years.

We separate the report from the sales conversation on purpose. Sometimes the answer is a few hundred dollars of sealing and a new return grille. Sometimes it is a partial replacement of three failed runs. Occasionally it is a full duct replacement, and when that is the case the measurements are there to justify it rather than an opinion.

If you are having equipment quoted by anyone, do this first. Sizing new equipment against an unmeasured duct system is how homeowners end up with a premium system that performs like a budget one.

Before buying or selling a home, because duct condition is not part of a standard home inspection and it materially affects what the HVAC system can do. Before replacing equipment, for the reason above. After buying a home with no maintenance history.

Also any time the symptoms point that direction: uneven room temperatures, a system that cannot keep up on the hottest afternoons, utility bills that rose without a rate change, dust that returns quickly after cleaning, musty or attic-smelling air on startup, or a coil that has frozen more than once.

And after major work in the attic — a re-roof, solar installation, insulation blow-in, or electrical or plumbing work. Duct runs get stepped on, disconnected, and crushed by trades who are not thinking about airflow, and the damage is completely invisible from inside the house.