Title 24 Duct Testing in California: What Homeowners Need to Know When Replacing HVAC
If you’re replacing a furnace, air conditioner or heat pump in an existing California home, your permit will usually require a duct leakage test. California’s Title 24 energy code sets the target, and an independent rater verifies the result before the permit is finaled. Many older Bay Area duct systems don’t pass on the first…
Read MoreReplacing Your AC or Furnace? Fix Your Ducts First
If you’re shopping for a new AC, heat pump or high efficiency furnace, the ducts that carry its air deserve a look first. New equipment connected to leaky ducts still loses air in the attic or crawl space, and the rooms that felt bad before often still feel bad after. MaxSeal doesn’t sell equipment. We…
Read MoreNew Heat Pump Not Heating Well? Check Your Ducts First
If you just installed a heat pump and the house still feels chilly, or the vents seem to blow lukewarm air, you’re not alone. Heat pumps send out cooler air than gas furnaces, so they depend on tight ducts and strong airflow to keep you comfortable. In the Bay Area, many heat pumps are connected…
Read MoreHow Much Does Aeroseal Cost in the Bay Area? MaxSeal’s 2026 Price List
You want to know what duct sealing will cost before anyone comes out. At MaxSeal, Aeroseal duct sealing costs $3,000–$3,500 per HVAC system. Home size isn’t really a factor, and homes with more than one system get a multi-system discount. Duct leakage and airflow tests start at $295, and an in-home or video consultation is…
Read MoreDuct Sealing & HVAC Airflow Glossary: 25 Terms Every Homeowner Should Know
When you read a duct test report or a contractor’s quote, a few terms do most of the work. The three that matter most are CFM (cubic feet of air per minute), CFM25 (duct leakage measured at 25 Pascals of pressure) and register airflow (how much air actually reaches each room). Everything else on a…
Read MoreHow to Choose an Aeroseal Contractor Near You: 9-Point Checklist
If you’re comparing Aeroseal contractors, a short checklist makes the choice much easier. The best Aeroseal contractor is a certified Aeroseal dealer with a state license who tests before quoting and measures room-by-room airflow. They commit to a written leakage target, for example under 50 CFM25, and hand you the before and after report. They…
Read MoreHow Much Energy Do Leaky Ducts Waste? The Efficiency Math, Explained Simply
Your ducts may be wasting more of your heating and cooling bill than you think. ENERGY STAR estimates that a typical home loses 20–30% of the air moving through its ducts. To estimate your waste, multiply your annual heating and cooling cost by your duct leakage percentage. On a $1,800 bill, 25% leakage is up…
Read MoreHow to Read a Duct Leakage Test Report: CFM25, Airflow and What the Numbers Mean
If you have a duct leakage test report in front of you, a few numbers tell you most of the story. The leakage test reports how many cubic feet of air per minute (CFM) your ducts leak when pressurized to 25 Pascals, written as CFM25. The airflow test reports how many CFM actually reach each…
Read MoreHow to Seal Air Ducts Yourself: A Step-by-Step DIY Guide (and When to Call a Pro)
You can seal the ducts you can see, in the attic, crawl space, basement or garage, with water-based mastic and UL-181 foil tape. Never use cloth duct tape. Focus on joints, seams, elbows and the boots where ducts meet registers. DIY can’t reach ducts inside walls and floors, and it doesn’t tell you how much…
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