COCOA, FL — According to a recent study conducted by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), most central Florida homes waste energy through leaky air handlers and ducts. The amount of leakage in an average 2,000-sq-ft home can cost the homeowner 10% to 20% more in annual heating and cooling costs compared to an airtight system, says the center.

FSEC researchers discovered this while conducting a study measuring leakage of installed air handlers. The Florida Department of Community Affairs code division funded the study, titled “Field Testing to Characterize the Airtightness and Operating Pressures of Residential Air Handlers.”