Ductwork
Updated
Ductwork is the network of metal or flexible channels that carries air between your furnace or air handler and the rooms of your house. Supply ducts deliver conditioned air out; return ducts pull room air back to be heated or cooled again. Both sides matter.
A system starved on the return side struggles no matter how good the equipment is. Leaky ducts lose a surprising amount of conditioned air into attics and crawl spaces where it does nobody any good, and undersized ducts push static pressure up, making the system loud and hard on the blower. Ducts connect to the equipment through a plenum on each side.
Common Questions
What is the difference between supply and return ducts?
Supply ducts carry heated or cooled air from the equipment out to the rooms, and return ducts bring room air back to be conditioned again. Each side connects to the furnace or air handler through its own plenum, and the system needs both moving freely to work.
Why does leaky ductwork matter?
Air that escapes into an attic or crawl space is air you paid to heat or cool that never reaches a room. Leaks make central AC and furnaces work longer to hit the same temperature, which shows up as higher bills and rooms that lag behind the thermostat.
Can ductwork be too small for the system?
Undersized ducts choke airflow the same way a narrow straw slows a drink. The blower works against higher static pressure, rooms at the end of long runs come up short, and the system gets noisier. Duct sizing is checked before new equipment goes in, not after.
Related Terms
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