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Duct Testing
STATE
OF CALIFORNIA —
THE RESOURCES AGENCY ARNOLD
SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor
CALIFORNIA ENERGY
COMMISSION
1516
Ninth
Street
Sacramento,
California
95814
Main
website: www.energy.ca.gov
LETTER
TO HOMEOWNERS:
NEW
DUCT SEALING REQUIREMENTS - YOU WILL BENEFIT
Beginning
October
1, 2005,
you must have your home’s ducts tested for leaks when you have a central air
conditioner or furnace installed or replaced. Ducts that leak 15 percent or more
must be repaired to reduce the leaks. After your contractor tests and fixes the
ducts, you choose whether to have an approved third-party field verifier check
to make sure the duct testing and sealing was done properly or to have your
house included in a random sample where one in seven duct systems are
checked.
Duct
sealing is not required in the following situations: 1) when homes are in
specific coastal climates; 2) when systems have less than 40 feet of ductwork in
unconditioned spaces like attics, garages, crawlspaces, basements or outside the
building, or 3) when ducts are constructed, insulated or sealed with asbestos.
There also are specific alternatives that allow high efficiency equipment and
added duct insulation to be installed instead of fixing duct
leaks.
You
also should know that any contractor failing to obtain a required building
permit and failing to test and repair your ducts is violating the law and
exposing you to additional costs and liability. Real estate law requires you to
disclose to potential buyers and appraisers whether or not you obtained required
permits for work done on your house. If you do not obtain a permit, you may be
required to bring your home into compliance with code requirements for that work
and you may have to pay penalty permit fees and fines prior to selling your
home.
The
greatest energy use in California
homes is for central air conditioning and heating. Most homes with central air
conditioning and heating systems have ducts that were never properly sealed.
The
average home’s ducts leak around 30 percent of the conditioned air outside the
home. These leaks are taking money straight out of your pocketbook.
Properly
sealed ducts will lower your energy bills, reduce pollution inside your home,
and help to avoid a repeat of the inconvenience and health and safety risks that
we suffered during the power blackouts in 2000.
For
more information, please contact the Energy Commission Efficiency Hotline
at
(800)
772-3300, or visit our website at
www.energy.ca.gov/title24/changeout.
Date:
August
2, 2005
___________________________
______________________________
JACKALYNE
PFANNENSTIEL
ARTHUR H. ROSENFELD, Ph. D.
Vice
Chair
Commissioner
New SEER Rating
Standard
Like many consumer products that use
energy, air conditioners and heat pumps are manufactured to meet or exceed
minimum efficiency standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy. For nearly a
decade, that minimum has been 10 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). On
January 23,
2006,
the minimum will jump to 13 SEER, a 30% increase over the current standard.
Much like miles-per-gallon (MPG) for
a car, the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) measures the efficiency of
air conditioners and heat pumps. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the
product.
Who
will this affect?
The
13 SEER minimum applies to everyone - consumers, your local HVAC dealer and all
manufacturers of air conditioners and heat pumps. However, it only applies to
new equipment manufactured on or after January
23, 2006.
In other words, you can continue to use your current system indefinitely, even
if it operates below 13 SEER. However, if you own an older system that often
needs repair, or if it is simply time to replace your current system, purchasing
a 13 SEER model now will give you two advantages:
What does it mean to me?
For many homeowners, a 13 SEER air
conditioner or heat pump will represent money saved on each month's electric
bill. Exactly how much you can save will depend on the efficiency of your
current system.
Here's a
comparison:
13 SEER Efficiency
Delivers about 23% energy savings
compared to 10 SEER models
Delivers
about 8% energy savings compared to 12 SEER models
Actual
savings will depend on the age, efficiency and condition of the unit being
replaced, but for anyone currently considering a new air conditioner or heat
pump, it makes a lot of sense to start saving now with a 13 SEER
product.
Refrigerant Change on the
Horizon
Another change you need to be aware
of is the phase out of R-22, the refrigerant most commonly used in today’s air
conditioners and heat pumps. By 2010, all new air conditioners and heat pumps
will be required to use "environmentally sound" refrigerant, such as Puron®.
This phase out has been mandated in an effort to help protect the Earth’s ozone
layer. We’ve seen this before. In the late 1980s, environmental concerns led to
a total phase out of R-12 in automotive air conditioners. If you owned a vehicle
during that time, you may have experienced first-hand the rapidly rising costs
of R-12, or the expense of upgrading to newer technology. By making the change
to Puron refrigerant now, you can protect yourself from the potentially higher
future costs of servicing an air conditioner or heat pump that uses R-22.
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