Yes, but not for the reason that you might think. Asbestos, as everyone knows, causes deadly health concerns. The asbestos that has been a problem has been friable asbestos. This means that it can become airborne and can be inhaled into the lungs.
Yes, and it is very likely that, if you have asbestos ducts, you have asbestos fibers in the air from time to time in your home. It is very unlikely that you will suffer any ill health effects from asbestos insulated air ducts, but why take the chance?
The insulation level of asbestos insulated ducting is R2 with the minimum level of new ducting being R6 and R8 depending on what climate zone you live in. The average 2000 square foot home with asbestos insulated ducting is losing about 28,000 btus of heat for every hour the heater is operating. This means that your 100,000 heater operating at 80% should be putting out 80,000 btus. Of that 80,000 btus you are losing 28,800 in your attic so your furnace is transferring only 51,200 to the inside of your home
100,000 btus divide by 51,200 btus equals 51% AFUE. This means that you are paying for 100,000 btus of natural gas and only receiving 51,000 btus of heat. That gas bill is nearly twice as high as it should be. The electrical bill associated with the blower assembly operating is twice as high as it should be and the level of comfort that you are experiencing is one half what it should be.
Your system isn’t operating the way it was designed to operate. It isn’t healthy and isn’t cost effective. Give us a call and let us show you the level of comfort that you have been missing in your own home.
