Should You Install Your Own Ductwork?

Trust the pros to install ducts for your central air conditioning system.

As the days get longer and hotter in Bridgeton, Glassboro and other parts of southern New Jersey, your home’s old window air conditioners are likely not up to the task of beating the summer heat. Yet many homes in this region that rely on boilers in the winter don’t have ductwork.

At Woodruff Energy, we talk to many customers who are considering installing ductwork themselves to accommodate a central A/C system. We understand the impulse to try to save money by doing your own installation, but trust us: ductwork installation is not a DIY job.

What are the risks of installing your own ductwork?

If you’re tempted to forgo a professional HVAC installer and put in ducts yourself, it’s important to consider these risks.

• Research, research, research — Ducts aren’t one-size-fits-all. There are different sizes, and they come in many types of material, including sheet metal or flexible fiberglass. And figuring out your duct layout requires you to calculate the heat loss and gain for each of your rooms. Simply put, there’s a lot of research and legwork before you even start the installation. A pro can handle this quickly because they have training and experience.
• Higher energy bills — if you install the ductwork incorrectly, hot and cool air will escape from them more frequently. This with significantly increase your energy bills.
• Exposure to hazardous materials — Installing ducts might require you to open walls and remove existing ductwork. Especially in older homes, this can expose hazardous materials like asbestos, which pose health risks to you and your family.
• Potential for injury — Installing ducts involves a lot of lifting, getting up on ladders, cutting metal and removing walls and ceilings. If you don’t have training and experience, the risk of injury is mighty high.

Taken together, these risks make a DIY duct job potentially quite expensive. The cost to fix issues and redo work could end up costing as much as hiring a professional installer upfront.

Woodruff Energy handles every part of your central A/C installation.

Some companies say they will install your central A/C but can’t do much beyond swapping out a compressor. Not Woodruff Energy. Our trained and experienced engineering team can handle every aspect of your cooling system installations — including the ductwork.

We have an in-house sheet metal shop where we craft ductwork and other elements to the exact specifications of your space. And because we do the work ourselves, you don’t need to pay the inflated rates that third parties charge.

And if you’re buying a new home, we can be your trusted ductwork installer from day one!

Ductless mini-splits are a great alternative to ducted central air conditioning.

We get it. Installing all new ductwork for a central air system can be a time-consuming proposition, even with a professional handling it. If you have a home with no existing ductwork (or a room that your central A/C ducts don’t reach), then Woodruff Energy has a less disruptive solution: ductless mini-splits.

These fantastic systems have indoor units that cool individual zones of your home. (You can keep different parts of your home at different temperatures!) They connect to an outdoor compressor via thin lines that go through your exterior walls. Because there’s no ductwork involved and only minimal drilling, The process doesn’t take nearly as long as a complete ductwork installation. Plus, mini-splits are typically much more efficient to operate than central A/C, saving you money throughout the year.

We’re ready to help with all your ductwork (or ductless A/C) needs. Contact Woodruff Energy to get started.