In this solo episode of the Ask Derek Cole Show, host Derek Cole explains that the single biggest source of energy waste in most American homes is the duct system, which on average loses about 25% of heated or cooled air, and that 95% of homes have duct leakage according to Energy Star. He introduces Aeroseal‑style aerosol duct sealing—a computer‑controlled, pressurized application of a safe aerosol glue that travels through the ducts and seals leaks from the inside, avoiding traditional mastic or joint‑by‑joint methods. Cole emphasizes that sealing ducts is essential for achieving true home energy efficiency, alongside two other critical factors: the HVAC unit itself and the building envelope (insulation, air sealing). He argues that without addressing duct leakage, even the most efficient furnace or air‑conditioner will waste a quarter of its output, and that homeowners can dramatically reduce heating and cooling costs by fixing this hidden loss.
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Hey, on this episode, we're talking about the number one thing you can do to save 25 cent of every dollar you spend heating and cooling your home. What? You ask your comfort and energy questions and they get answered. This is the Ask Derrick Cole Show. Hey, this is Derrick Cole and welcome to episode 112 of the Ask Derrick Cole Show. And today we're talking about something a lot of homeowners ask about, how to save energy. Well, one of the biggest energy losers for your home is your duct system. On average, in America, the average duct system has 25% loss of air. So meaning for every dollar you spend heating or cooling, 75 cent of that dollar is actually going into the home. 25 cent you're wasting. You're going to crawl space, you're going attic. Wherever that duct system is, that is where it's going to. 95% of homes have duct leakage. This is all according to Energy Star. It's not me. I'll link it up in the comments below. But Energy star says 95% of homes have duct leakage. This is a huge problem and we can solve this problem. We've invested quite a bit of money in something called aero seal duct sealing. It can actually seal your duct system from the inside. Not doing mastic, not doing painting, we're actually sealing your system from the inside of the duct system to the outside. We're not, you know, going run by run joint by joint. We're not masticking. All this is done with the computer, with pressure. It's pressurized duct system. The aerosol glue, which is completely safe. It's very similar to the same glue they used in pacifier. So it's safe to breathe. But that glue is an aerosol and it's going throughout your duct system and where you're losing pressure is filling the holes and it's sealing that duct system from the inside. That is the most efficient way to do is something that has revolutionized the industry and something we do quite a bit of. And we want to get the story out because we can do more. People are suffering with high energy bills and a big loss is not in the equipment that could be a loss, but the big loss is in the duct system as well. So if you have a poor duct system, a leaky duct system, you can install a brand new 14.3 CO2 system in it. But if you're losing 25% of the energy in the area producing from that system, you're not very efficient. You're not going to be efficient until you get that duct system taken care of. There are three factors to every single home. There is the unit, the duct system, and what we call the envelope, which is the house. If one of those three are off or having a challenge, you're not going to be efficient. If you don't have enough insulation in your home, you're not going to be efficient. If your duct system is leaking, you're not going to be efficient. If you have the wrong size unit, you're not going to be efficient. So the secret, the key to saving more energy outside of your unit being changed out to more efficient also comes from sealing that duct system. I.
