An Introduction to Aeroseal
Aeroseal is a breakthrough aerosol-based sealing technology developed in 1993 by Dr. Mark Modera in his garage. For the first time ever it was possible to seal leaks in ducts from the inside out.
The problem is most ducts in commercial buildings leak air and this was chalked up to a common problem one that was just accepted. Case studies have shown sealing ducts reduces energy waste by eliminating the cracks & holes.
THIS HAS A 2 FOLD EFFECT
- The motors in HVAC systems use on average 60% of a buildings electricity. According to VIP40 an international commissioned report on ventilation systems the ductwork across Europe leaks anything from 15% to 40%. By reducing leaks from 15% down to 2% which AEROSEAL can do, drops fan requirements by a multiple of 3 resulting in a 39 to 40% energy saving in your HVAC system. Saving thousands of Euros every month and contributing to a reduction in CO2 emissions.
- It also helps in reducing contamination in the ducts which is drawn in to the system through the holes in the ductwork. As a direct result this cuts down on cleaning costs and helps to maintain Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).
- As direct result by sealing leaky ductwork, there is more airflow to the targeted areas. This can allow increased occupancy.
- Reduced noise contamination.
In Conclusion AEROSEAL’s solution has made duct sealing cost effective & simple to accomplish, making it a top energy saving strategy for building owners and Facility Managers looking to eliminate energy consumption and improve IAQ problems.
Save money with AEROSEAL on your next project.
WHAT IS AEROSEAL?
AEROSEAL is a patented technology for efficiently and effectively sealing of existing air duct systems from inside out in the quickest possible way and with little disruption.
Ductwork leakage rates are outlined in BESA DW144 and systems should be manufactured and installed to comply with this specification.
Now as an integral component in the installation of new ventilation systems, maximum air tightness requirements for duct work can be guaranteed as well as achieved.
The revolutionary and patented AEROSEAL process was developed in the 1990s at the University of Berkeley/California. This technology has now been successfully applied in more than 125,000 air duct systems, in residential and commercial buildings, all over the world.
Since its European launch in 2015 AEROSEAL has set new standards for the tightness of air duct systems.
A WIN-WIN SOLUTION FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED
Planners can guarantee that the complete ventilation system meets the requirements of the standards for tightness when AEROSEAL issues a tender.
Air duct manufacturers can prove that they meet the tightness requirements of DIN EN 1507 or DIN EN 12237 through their operational quality assurance and through the use of high-quality manufacturing products in production, manufacturers no longer have to deal with defects caused by the installation process.
Plant constructors can easily meet and prove the required tightness class during the installation of a plant. Costly reworking or the processing of defects is no longer necessary.
Operators and users benefit from optimal, energy-saving and efficient operation of the system.
WHY IS AEROSEAL THE NEW AIRTIGHTNESS CLASS?
In the past limited access to already installed air duct systems and the fact that small and individual leakages are difficult to address efficiently, the sealing of those systems has been extremely difficult. As a result, achieving leakage rates outlined in BESA DW144 and an air tightness class C or D for an already installed air duct system was usually not possible.
With AEROSEAL we are able to guarantee airtightness class D.
HOW DOES AEROSEAL WORK?
Aeroseal works by injecting a water soluble sealant aerosol into the ductwork system using heated compressed air, the aerosol is then transported to the points of leakage from the inside and attaches itself to the side of the hole and over a period of approx. 30mins slowly reduces the hole in size.
Using this approach, inaccessible points of leakage can be sealed. Large sections of ductwork up to 150msq can be sealed at a time dependent on design. Large ductwork systems can be sealed by breaking them down into smaller sections.
Once the application is complete and set, AEROSEAL sealant is able to withstand 2000Pa of pressure with an estimated lifetime of over 30 years (provided ductwork is not dismantled or cleaned with oxidising chemicals).
The cured sealant is completely odourless and will withstand temperatures from -29C to +249C.
Leakage points up to 15mm across may be sealed in one application, meaning system leakage can rapidly and easily be reduced. System leakage can be reduced by over 90%, allowing systems to meet design specification, and can therefore be upgraded to higher classification.
BENEFITS OF INCREASED AIR TIGHTNESS
- Ductwork systems that have a better air tightness, lose less energy than leakier ones. HVAC running costs make up a very substantial part of a building’s operational cost and some of this cost may be recovered by reducing ductwork leakage.
- Energy saving calculations can be carried out after application, but it has been possible to reduce fan speeds and in some cases, reduce fan size after AEROSEAL, whilst still achieving the required air volumes.
- Poor performing HVAC systems can lead to poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and a reduced level of comfort in buildings. People can spend as much of 90% of their time in indoor space, and increased comfort and IAQ have proven benefits to productivity and reduced absenteeism.
- Comfort issues can be linked to poor temperature control from inefficient HVAC, these systems can have their efficiencies boosted by improved airtightness.
- AEROSEAL helps companies meeting the environmental commitments by reducing power consumption and therefore carbon footprint.
- HVAC fans represents 20-60% of your total HVAC energy usage. Independent studies have shown that even a 15% reduction in leakage can reduce fan power requirements by 40% or more – and save you thousands of euros.
WHY DO DUCTS LEAK ?
Leakage may occur for many reasons, manufacturing tolerances, poor or faulty installation, damage in transit, poor on site adjustments as well as poor system design. It can often be very difficult to pinpoint areas of leakage, usually there are many points of small leakage which contribute to a much larger leakage total.
Ductwork flanged connections, slip joints, seams and fixings can all leak, making it almost impossible to find and seal all leakage points on a large installed system. Other building services such as walls, ceilings and other characteristics can restrict access to the ductwork system making manual sealing difficult.
The cured sealant is completely odourless and will withstand temperatures from -29C to +249C.
