|
|
Aeroseal
 Each year, residential and
commercial duct leakage costs consumers some $5 billion - a loss equal to the
annual energy consumption of 13 million cars. A typical house with ducts located
in the attic or crawl space wastes about 20% of heating and cooling energy
through duct leaks and draws approximately 1 kW more electricity during peak
cooling periods. Studies indicate that sealing leaks could save close to one
quadrillion BTU's per year.
 If
your duct system needs to be sealed, a patented computer-controlled
injection machine sends small dry adhesive particles into the duct
system and deposits these particles directly on the edges of holes in
your ducts-bridging the cracks to create seals.
|
The sealing technology was invented in 1994 by Dr. Mark
Modera, a scientist at the University of California.
Research to develop aerosol sealing was funded by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, the California Institute for
Energy Efficiency, and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). It has been
tested by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) and the Indoor Environment program
at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The University of California was
granted a patent in 1999, and Aeroseal Inc. holds an exclusive license to the
technology.
Field studies were performed around the country to test
and improve the sealing capability on all types of duct systems. Leaks sealed
with Aeroseal are guaranteed for 10 years. A computer program was developed to
quickly test duct systems for leakage, room air flow problems, combustion
safety, air temperature and return air performance. The computer program also
controls the machine during sealing and tracks and documents the process in
every house. Aeroseal has performed technology demonstration projects for many
of the nation’s utilities including PG&E, PEPCO, FPL, SMUD, SDG&E,
Austin Energy, Reliant Energy, and College Station Utilities.
Aeroseal began licensing the duct improvement technology
in January 1999 to a limited number of experienced HVAC contractors in each
market area. Aeroseal trains and certifies the contractors to use the
computerized duct system diagnostics and the aerosol sealing technology.
Customers receive a computer analysis of the condition of the ducts before work
starts, and when work is completed, a certificate that their system has been
properly sealed.
|
|
