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Your Condo | Maintenance

Don’t Let Your Make-Up Air

System Give You the Shaft:

Tackling Ductwork Leakage

By Steve Herzog
Maintaining optimal energy perfor- building pressure. These systems are gaps and cracks in the ductwork.
mance in condominium buildings crucial in large residential buildings, 1. Age and Wear: Over time, duct
is critical for both where proper ventilation is necessary to materials can deteriorate, causing
economic and envi- ensure the comfort and health of resi- leaks.
ronmental reasons. dents. However, the efficiency of MUA 2. Thermal Expansion: Variations
One of the often systems can be significantly compro- in temperature can cause ducts to
overlooked aspects mised by ductwork leakage. expand and contract, leading to the
of energy efficiency is formation of leaks.
Steve Herzog ductwork leakage in What is Ductwork Leakage? 3. Mechanical Damage: Physical
make-up air (MUA) Ductwork leakage refers to the unin- impacts during maintenance or
systems. This article aims to shed light tended loss of conditioned air from renovations can create holes and
on the impact of ductwork leakage on the duct system into unconditioned
tears in the ductwork.
Photo: © iStock.com/ Dmytro Kuznietsov building managers to take proactive tioned air into the ducts. This leakage Impacts of Ductwork Leakage
energy performance and encourage spaces or the infiltration of uncondi-
Energy Waste: Duct leakage forces
steps in auditing and optimizing their can occur at various points, including
seams, joints, and connections within
the HVAC system to work harder to
MUA systems.
the ductwork.
compensate for lost air, leading to
increased energy consumption. Studies
The Role of Make-Up Air Systems
have shown that typical duct systems
Make-up air systems are designed Causes of Ductwork Leakage
to replace exhausted air from a build-
in large buildings lose 10-25% of their
Poor Installation: Improper sealing
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56 I CM Magazine FALL 2024 ing to maintain indoor air quality and and installation techniques can lead to conditioned air through leaks. For MUA