Tearing out the ductwork

I cheap out whenever I can. I love when I can save a little money doing something myself. I learned how to change my oil and have never paid for it professionally done again. I do all my own HVAC maintenance as well. I change the air filter once a month and vacuum the inside of the system. I clean the AC system condensate drain and cooling coil. I also can deduce small repairs on the heating system. With all this HVAC knowledge and success, I thought ductwork cleaning would be a breeze. The air ducts connect right to the HVAC equipment. I watched a video of a guy using a giant scrub brush and cleaning them. I figured I could save the money by not hiring a professional. I got myself a brush and went to work. I cleaned through each air vent and reached all of my ductwork. I thought I did a really good job. Weeks later I noticed that my energy bills were super high. My HVAC system could not reach the temperature on my thermostat. The home was super uncomfortable and the HVAC was not helping. After some research I figured out that I tore a hole in the seam of my HVAC duct. The air from the HVAC equipment was leaking right out the tear. I busted the ductwork doing my own cleaning since I was not careful enough. Now I have to get a professional to perform ductwork sealing. I am not saving any money in the end now. I also will have to pay for ductwork cleaning in the future.

HVAC