Podcast Summary: How HVAC Contractors Are Making More Money with Duct Sealing Technology

Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
Host: Tersh Blissett (Skilled Trades Syndicate)
Guest: Jared Scott (AeroSeal)
Date: February 25, 2026
Location: Recorded live at AHR 2026, Las Vegas

Episode Overview

This episode dives into innovative duct sealing technology, particularly the AeroSeal system, and explores how it revolutionizes energy efficiency, comfort, and profitability for HVAC contractors. Host Tersh Blissett interviews Jared Scott from AeroSeal about how this inside-out duct sealing process is shaking up both residential and commercial HVAC projects, offering new profit avenues, stronger customer satisfaction, and solutions to common ductwork issues.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How AeroSeal Duct Sealing Works

• Inside-Out Sealing: AeroSeal’s system atomizes a lightly tacky, water-based sealant and injects it into pressurized ductwork, where it finds and seals leaks from the inside.
• Precision & Efficiency: Unlike traditional hand sealing with mastic or tape, this method deposits sealant only at leak points, minimizing material use and maximizing efficiency.
  • Quote [00:00 | Jared]: “It seals it from the inside instead of the traditional hand sealing measures... those [sealant particles] are going to be drawn to just the low pressure point or the leaks.”
• Step-by-Step:
  1. Registers are blocked, HVAC unit isolated.
  2. Equipment runs a pre-sealing duct efficiency test.
  3. Atomized sealant is sprayed inside the pressurized ducts.
  4. Sealant is attracted and binds to leak sites, closing gaps precisely.

2. Distinction From Duct Encapsulation

• AeroSeal is often confused with duct encapsulation but differs fundamentally.
  • Encapsulation coats the entire duct interior (ideal for water intrusion scenarios); AeroSeal only seals leaks.
  • Quote [02:32 | Jared]: “Duct encapsulation would be where you're coating the entire inside... This is good for any kind of ductwork, any region, anywhere.”

3. Sealant Performance and Limitations

• Officially seals up to 5/8" leak size, but works on both many small holes and some larger penetrations.
• Supply ducts can be sealed very tightly; return ducts often see about 60% leak reduction.
  • Quote [04:10 | Jared]: “The system and the sealant, it doesn't know how big the leak is... It will reduce leakage in those larger holes.”

4. Commercial Impact & Regulatory Requirements

• Clean building and LEED initiatives are driving commercial adoption.
  • Building codes now often require duct leakage below 3%, sometimes as low as 1.5%.
  • Tight ducts improve both energy delivery and indoor air quality (IAQ).
  • Quote [05:51 | Jared]: “The tighter, the better on the duct side... That just gets the air where it's going to go and also helps improve your IAQ solution.”

5. Potential Issues: Static Pressure

• Sealing ducts can, in rare scenarios, raise static pressure, but not enough to jeopardize equipment if properly assessed.
  • Contractors should check for existing static pressure issues and plan accordingly.
  • Quote [06:42 | Jared]: “It doesn’t typically raise it into a level where it is going to... negatively affect the equipment.”

6. AeroBarrier: Building Envelope Sealing

• Similar technology is used for whole-home envelope sealing (AeroBarrier).
  • Applied after the first mud coat in new construction, tightens up air changes per hour dramatically.
  • Mechanical ventilation is recommended if a building becomes “too tight.”
  • Quote [09:37 | Jared]: "You want it to breathe mechanically, not through the walls... Where you want it to breathe through the lungs, not through the skin."

7. ROI & Use Cases for Multi-family/Commercial Properties

• Sealing is especially beneficial in apartments and properties with central ventilation to reduce cross-unit odor, energy waste, and to improve compartmentalization.
  • Clear ROI modeling available for property managers.
  • Process is minimally invasive and can be done in occupied units.
  • Quote [11:12 | Jared]: “If you've got the central ventilation, you can absolutely seal that and improve to a degree where you don't have that unit-to-unit transfer of odor.”

8. Material Specs, Curing, and Safety

• Curing Time: Usable within 1-2 hours; sealant is 80% dry when it enters the ducts.
  • Quote [12:16 | Jared]: “About an hour, maybe two hours.”
• Odor: Smells akin to latex paint but dissipates within several hours; air scrubbers are used to mitigate.
  • Quote [12:41 | Jared]: “It will have an odor... smells a little bit like a latex paint... usually within three, four hours, it's gone.”
• Sealant Chemistry: 100% water-based; cures quickly, safer than solvent-based options.
  • Quote [13:47 | Jared]: “It is all water based. With water... it cures really fast. Just has to dry.”
• Fire & Environmental Safety: Not officially fire rated, but has zero smoke and zero flame index—approved for use in strict regulatory regions and federal buildings.
  • Quote [14:15 | Jared]: “It does have zero smoke and zero flame index... we've done a lot of federal buildings... no issues there.”

9. Business Outcomes and ROI for Contractors

• This technology brings a measurable competitive edge—reducing callbacks, increasing customer satisfaction, and opening up new service and maintenance revenue.
• Particularly valuable as the market moves more toward “repair over replacement.”
  • Quote [15:49 | Jared]: “You can make this a competitive advantage... not just around comfort, but IAQ and energy savings for the homeowner.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the science of sealing:
  “This is where the physics comes in. Those [particles] are going to be drawn to just the low pressure point or the leaks.” (Jared, [00:00])

• On market distinction:
  “It’s often confused with duct encapsulation products, and it doesn’t do that.” (Jared, [02:17])

• On the regulatory shift:
  "The tighter, the better on the duct side... That just gets the air where it's going to go and also helps improve your IAQ solution.” (Jared, [05:51])

• On mechanical vs. passive ventilation:
  “You want it to breathe mechanically, not through the walls... Where you want it to breathe through the lungs, not through the skin.” (Jared, [09:37])

• On ROI for multi-family properties:
  “There’s a clear ROI on it. And that makes it clear for everybody... On comfort, in scenarios where you have central ventilation, one of the big initiatives out there is to get things better compartmentalized.” (Jared, [11:12])

• On the competitive advantage for contractors:
  “You can make this a competitive advantage for you... not just around comfort, but IAQ and energy savings for the homeowner also.” (Jared, [15:49])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------|------------| | How AeroSeal Works | 00:00–03:59| | Duct Encapsulation vs. Sealing | 02:31–02:47| | Performance Specifications | 04:10–05:00| | Commercial/Regulatory Trends | 05:00–06:15| | Static Pressure Considerations | 06:23–07:26| | AeroBarrier Envelope System | 07:29–09:57| | Multi-family/Commercial ROI | 10:11–12:11| | Curing, Odor, and Chemistry | 12:11–14:12| | Fire/Environmental Safety | 14:12–15:34| | Business/Competitive Edge | 15:43–17:56|

Additional Resources Mentioned

• Visit aeroseal.com or drop by their booth at trade shows for demos and case studies.
• Direct contact: Jared Scott, 937-751-3945.

Conclusion

AeroSeal’s inside-out duct sealing method is quickly becoming a game-changer for HVAC professionals—bringing technical innovation, measurable ROI, marketing differentiation, and a powerful path to improved energy efficiency and comfort for both homeowners and commercial clients.

Contact: For more details or to implement these solutions, visit aeroseal.com or reach out directly to Jared Scott.

This summary covers all core insights and exchanges from the technical discussion, skipping promotional and outro content to focus on actionable information for trades professionals.