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Ductwork design is a vital HVAC system that impacts cooling and heating efficiency, system wear and tear, indoor air quality, and home comfort. Look and feel for the following three signs that indicate if your ductwork needs attention and take the appropriate action to plug the drain in your pocketbook.
Uneven cooling and heating
The first indicator that your ductwork needs attention to is uneven cooling and heating from room to room, or “hot and cold” spots. Hot and cold spots make it more challenging, if not impossible, to maintain comfort for all occupants in the home.
While there are more reasons than one for hot and cold spots, such as sun orientation and/or air exchange through a home’s envelope, air-flow obstructions between the supply registers and air-return grille(s) are very common, whether it’s simply a closed door or poor installation locations of the registers and grille(s).
All about free airflow
A home with optimal duct design has a return grille in each room containing a supply register. This promotes free air flow between high-pressure supply air and low-pressure return air without obstructions. A home with good duct design may not have a return grille for every single supply register but may instead utilize transfer grilles and/or jumper ducts installed indoors and/or walls to promote free air flow between the registers and grille(s).
Leaky ductwork
Duct air leaks and damaged ducts produce a host of issues for comfort, energy efficiency, and more, including:
- Unbalanced air pressure and airflow through the living spaces
- Airborne contaminants introduced to the living spaces
- Increased cooling and heating load placed on systems
- Higher energy bills and potential for the shortened life span of cooling and heating systems
If you’ve recognized any of these signs of poor duct design, consider calling an HVAC professional for a thorough inspection of your duct system. Unbalanced air pressure can often be corrected without a major overhaul of the ductwork. A blower door test pinpoints any air leakage, which can be professionally sealed for greater comfort and savings.
When your ductwork needs attention, contact a company that northern New Jersey homeowners have trusted for 25 years. Please call Pipe Works Services today.
