Bel Air, MD · Member since 2018 · 35 posts · 11 votes
Not sure exactly what's going on here with these air leaks, but can I just tape over these spots with foil HVAC tape? Just wanted to check before I call an HVAC person to evaluate. This is in a house I'm under contract for. Just another thing on a very long list of repairs so trying to keep my costs down.
There are a quite a lot more leaky spots than what is pictured.
I know its not what your asking, but all that grime around the leaks is suspicious. I would pull the cover off the a-coil and see what's going on in there. If the furnace is ran without filters the a-coil can get clogged up. That causes a lot of pressure in the area with your leaks and would account for the dirt you see around them. Unfortunately they are tough to clean because you can only get at one side and they are delicate.
I know its not what your asking, but all that grime around the leaks is suspicious. I would pull the cover off the a-coil and see what's going on in there. If the furnace is ran without filters the a-coil can get clogged up. That causes a lot of pressure in the area with your leaks and would account for the dirt you see around them. Unfortunately they are tough to clean because you can only get at one side and they are delicate.
Hard to tell on pix, but it may just be dust that is accumulating in areas due to normal air circulation/turbulence....if that's the case, you really just need to clean the unit up...... dust will kill the efficiency of cooling units
Worst case is that its something liquid leaking and its blowing that material across that surface and dirt is sticking to that
By sealing it up without knowing the issue, you are just encasing the issue out of site and will likely just postpone needing to deal with it.
Id take the covers off and take a better look....my gut is that's it dust material
One thing I would add is get some coil cleaner (Home Depot. $6.00). And spray the A coil thoroughly (maybe even get a couple of cans). If the A coil is crudded up it will kill the compressor in a year or two and greatly reduce both heating and cooling efficiency. The dust trails are indicative of the coil being plugged. Make sure to use Decent pleated filters (the $3 kind not the $25 ) .That is you best defense for the coil. After all that foil tape should do the trick. No need for a service call unless something is not working!
look into duct blasting test and blower door tests. These will tell you how much you home is leaking and the leakage of your ductwork. Any air leakage in the ductwork should be addressed and would speak more with the contractor about options you have at this point. There are plenty. Also that dirty areas on the unit can only be prevented by proper air filtration. This will keep you healthier and prolong the lifespan of the system.