Ductwork in McKinney, TX
SmartWay repairs and replaces ductwork in McKinney and 13 nearby cities from our McKinney shop. A duct visit starts with the $65 diagnostic, waived when you go ahead with the repair.
Quoted at your home before any work starts. Texas license TACLA00108954C. Open 7 days, 7am to 7pm.
Most ducts in an attic are flex duct: a plastic inner liner wrapped in insulation and an outer jacket, run from a sheet metal plenum on the air handler to a boot behind each ceiling register. The connections are where it fails. A flex run slips off its collar, a strap sags and kinks the duct, or foot traffic in the attic crushes it. A torn jacket lets the cold duct sweat onto the drywall. A leak on the supply side dumps cooled air into the attic, and a leak on the return side pulls attic air and dust into the system.
Flex runs, boots and plenums are all reachable from the attic, so most of the inspection happens there. Rigid sheet metal trunks and return boxes in closets are checked the same way.
Common ductwork problems
One room stays hot while the rest cool
The flex run to that room may be disconnected at the boot or plenum, kinked by a sagging strap, or crushed. Reconnecting, strapping and sealing the run fixes it. A run that is torn or collapsed inside gets replaced.
Hardly any air comes out of a vent
The damper lever on the register itself may be pushed closed. Past that, the causes are a closed damper in the duct, a collapsed inner liner, or a run that is too long with too many bends. The fix is opening, replacing or rerouting that run.
Water stain on the ceiling near a register
A cold duct or boot with torn or missing insulation sweats in a hot attic, and the water soaks the drywall. The technician rewraps or replaces the insulated section and seals the boot to the ceiling. A clogged condensate drain gets ruled out at the same time.
Return duct leaking attic air
A return plenum joint that has separated, or a return run pulled loose at its boot, draws hot attic air, insulation fibers and dust into the system, which blows them into every room. Sealing the return plenum joints with mastic and reconnecting and strapping the loose run closes those leaks. Filter and filter rack problems are covered under indoor air quality.
Signs you need ductwork repair
- Weak airflow at one register: a disconnected, kinked or crushed flex run to that room.
- Rooms far from the air handler stay warm: long runs, too many bends, or leaks along the way.
- Water spots on the drywall around a ceiling register: the boot or duct behind it sweating where the insulation is torn.
- Dust builds up quickly on furniture: a return duct or return plenum joint leaking attic air into the system.
- The system runs long cycles but the house barely cools: one cause is supply air leaking into the attic, which gets checked along with the coil and refrigerant.
- A musty smell when the system starts: moisture at the coil, the drain pan or in a duct that has been sweating.
What the visit includes
- The $65 AC or heating diagnostic covers the trip and finding the problem.
- The technician checks airflow at the registers, then goes into the attic and follows the ducts from the plenum to each problem room.
- You are shown what failed, and the technician tells you the price before any work starts.
- Loose runs can be reconnected, strapped and sealed.
- Replacing sections or the full duct system is quoted at the home.
Brands and equipment
We repair and replace insulated flex duct runs, sheet metal supply and return plenums, register boots, and the return and filter boxes in attics and closets, on any brand of furnace, air handler or split system.
Where we do ductwork
Ductwork is available in all 14 cities we serve from our McKinney shop: McKinney, Frisco, Prosper, Plano, Allen, Celina, Anna, Melissa, Lucas, Murphy, Richardson, Garland, Sachse and Princeton.
Common questions
How much does ductwork repair cost?
It depends on how much duct is involved, and you get the price before any work starts. The visit starts with the $65 diagnostic, waived if you go ahead with the repair. Reconnecting one loose run takes a strap, tape and mastic, and costs far less than new duct. Replacing a full duct system is a larger job, priced at the home after the technician looks at the ducts in the attic.
Does the technician need to get into my attic?
Yes. Most duct runs, the boots and the supply plenum are in the attic, so the technician needs a clear path to the attic hatch or pull-down ladder. Moving stored boxes away from the hatch, and anything sitting under it, before the visit saves time. If the air handler is in a closet, clear the space in front of that closet too.
Why is one room always hotter than the rest of the house?
Either too little air reaches the room, or air has no way back out of it. A loose, kinked or crushed duct cuts the supply. A room whose door stays closed, with no return grille or jumper duct, pressurizes and takes in less air. If the duct and the return path check out, total airflow at the system is the next thing to look at.
Should I replace my ductwork when I replace my AC?
Only if it is damaged or too small for the new system. Torn, crushed or undersized runs are worth replacing while the system is being changed, and the technician puts that on the same installation quote so you can decide.
Can leaky ducts raise my electric bill?
Yes. Cooled air that leaks from a supply duct into the attic never reaches the room, so the thermostat keeps the system running longer. A return leak pulls hot attic air into the system and adds to the load. Sealing the joints at the plenums and boots addresses both.
Can a crushed duct be repaired or does it have to be replaced?
A crushed flex run with an intact inner liner can often be reshaped, restrapped and sealed. If the liner is torn or collapsed inside, that run is replaced from the plenum to the boot. You see the damage and get the price before any work starts.
From customers
“Excellent service! Yevgen from SmartWay did a great job repairing the ice maker.”
“Online booking was super simple. I was able to get an appointment for that afternoon.”
Book ductwork repair
Open 7 days, 7am to 7pm. Same-day appointments are often available.