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Air Handler Leak Repair in Grovetown
A New Home with an Air Handler Leak in Grovetown, GA
12/29/2025
Building a new home is exciting. It can also be stressful. You hope that everything works properly when you move in, including the heating and cooling.
When one family finished their new home in Grovetown, Georgia, they decided an HVAC maintenance visit was in order. This would ensure their furnace was ready for whatever weather came their way. Enticed by our numerous five-star reviews, they called Bailey's Comfort Services to perform an inspection and tune-up.
What we discovered was truly a testament to the importance of these inspections! We found that the ductwork wasn’t properly attached to their air handler! If it hadn’t been for the inspection, this family might have spent the winter feeling like a cone from Whipped Creamery. Fortunately, we caught the issue before the temperatures dropped too low.
Sealing the Ducts to Heat the Whole Home
When our Grovetown HVAC technician inspected their Carrier air handler, he found a leak. This is actually more common in new construction than you’d think. It’s something we’ve seen hundreds of times since we opened our doors in 2005.
Since the supply plenum wasn’t properly attached, hot air was leaking into the attic instead of circulating throughout the home. The HVAC system would keep running, but the house wouldn’t reach the set temperature. While Grovetown’s winters can be mild, you’d still be stuck with some uncomfortable mornings.
To fix the problem, we filled the gap in the ductwork to get a proper seal. Using a combination of metal, screws, and mastic (a putty used to seal ducts), we were able to securely attach the plenum to the air handler. The system no longer leaked air, allowing it to distribute heat throughout the home instead of just the attic.
About the Parts Involved
What’s an Air Handler?
The air handler is an essential part of your home’s HVAC system in Grovetown. It contains the blower and, in many systems, the evaporator coil. It moves conditioned air from your heating or cooling equipment through the ductwork and into your home. If there are any leaks in the system, it becomes less efficient since not all the air arrives at its destination.
It’s a bit like trying to heat the entirety of Gateway Park. The system could keep running and using electricity, but it wouldn’t accomplish much. Your energy bills would increase while your home’s temperature remained unchanged.
What Is the Plenum?
In this customer’s case, the issue was with one of the plenums. Plenums are sheet metal boxes that connect the ducts to the air handler. This particular scenario involved the supply plenum, which ensures air from the handler makes it into the rest of your AC and heating system. The supply plenum was not properly attached, so the climatized air kept escaping into the attic.
Signs Your Air Handler in Grovetown Is Leaking Air
If you’re like the Grovetown homeowner in this example, your air handler is likely in the attic. That’s true for most people in Columbia County. You also probably don’t spend much time up there. With that being the case, how can you tell if your air handler is leaking? There are a few common things to look for:
- Uneven Heating in Your Home: First, if you have any rooms that feel colder or warmer than the rest of the house, you may have a leak somewhere. This is also a common sign of an improperly sized AC or heater in Grovetown, however, so it’s important to look for other common signs.
- Weak Airflow from the Vents: Poor airflow from the registers is another sign of a possible leak. Note that if it’s just the vents farthest from the air handler, then the unit may just be too small for your home. On the other hand, if the airflow is uniformly weak across your whole home, then you might have the same problem as this case study’s homeowner.
- Home Not Reaching the Set Temperature: A leaking ventilation system will make it very hard for your home to reach the temperature on your thermostat. Your heat pump or furnace will keep running, but it will be ineffective.
- Damaged or Sloppy Ductwork: If you suspect you have an air leak, you might want to look at your air handler and ducts. Check if the plenum is disconnected from the air handler. Normally, it’s firmly attached with screws and either mastic tape or mud. You might notice gaps in the ducts as well.
Fixing Air Handler Problems
If you notice any of the above signs, you need to get the issue diagnosed and fixed. The first step to fixing airflow issues is to find their root cause. If you’ve found a gap in the ductwork or plenum, you’ve already accomplished that part on your own. Our Grovetown HVAC technicians will make sure there aren’t any additional gaps.
Once we’ve found the gap, we seal it using a variety of materials. That includes sheet metal, zip screws, and mastic. Mastic comes in two varieties—mud and tape:
- Mastic Mud: This is more or less what it sounds like. It’s a thick paste that’s painted onto the duct’s surface to seal it. It’s strong and permanent, but it may be hard to tell if you’ve gotten a perfect seal.
- Mastic Tape: This is a thick tape that uses mastic for its adhesive, making it both convenient and effective. It can achieve a tight seal, but only as long as the tape doesn’t get wrinkled.
In this case, we used both mastic tape and mud. With both of these put together, we achieved a strong seal that would last for years to come.
If you notice any signs of air leaks, it’s best to call a professional for an air handler airflow diagnosis. Call Bailey's for duct sealing services near you!
Don’t Waste Hot Air! Call Bailey's for Air Handler Repair Near You
Whether your home is a new construction or as old as the Grovetown Museum, it’s important to make sure your ventilation system is properly sealed.
If the plenum isn’t properly attached, it keeps your air handler from doing its job. That means no cool air in summer and no hot air in the winter, all while the system works itself to death.
To avoid that situation, call for air handler repair from an expert. Bailey's is a certified air handler company in Grovetown. Get in touch at (706) 343-3999 to get started.
Related Questions
Can a brand-new home in Grovetown really have HVAC installation problems?
Yes. New construction HVAC systems are installed by multiple tradesmen, often on tight timelines. In those circumstances, issues like loose plenums, unsealed duct joints, or missing fasteners are often overlooked. Inspectors also aren’t keeping an eye out for these. Since these problems often don’t show immediate symptoms, they can go unnoticed for months. An HVAC inspection after move-in is a great way to ensure you enjoy comfort in your new home from the start.
Is an air handler leak a repair issue or an installation defect?
In many cases, air handler leaks in new homes are installation defects rather than equipment failures. The unit itself may be working correctly, but improper plenum attachment or incomplete duct sealing can allow conditioned air to escape. Correcting the issue typically involves resealing and securing the ductwork rather than replacing the air handler.
Will a leaking plenum increase energy bills even if the system is running normally?
Yes. When air leaks from the plenum into areas like the attic, the system has to run longer to reach the thermostat’s set temperature. That extra runtime increases energy use while delivering less comfort inside the home. Over time, this added strain can also shorten the lifespan of your furnace.