Solving Home Air Flow Problems in Your Home
Basic things that the homeowner can check to help airflow:
The first thing you should do is check your furnace filter to determine if it is dirty. If it is, you remove it and install a new filter. If your furnace filter is dirty or clogged, this will create a pressure drop because the airflow will be restricted. After you have done this, you should walk around the house and carry out an investigation. Find out if your couches, rugs, cabinets, settees and other furniture are impeding airflow or blocking your vents. If this happens to be the case, you should remove these obstructions. Now, look around your home and find out if all the supply registers are open. Just so you know, supply registers are heat vents that blow out air. Ensure they are all open so that everything will function smoothly.
Many homeowners have the impression that shutting off certain air vents in the house will make other vents to blow harder. This is not true because shutting off supply registers or air vents creates pressurization problems with the overall system. As you probably know, CFM (cubic feet per minute) is usually determined by the pipes diameter. It follows that shutting off registers will not make the other vents to blow harder. In fact, shutting down too many supply registers may cause your furnace to short cycle on a high limit. This increases the cost of your utility bill and may even reduce the life expectancy of your HVAC system. Again, you should never buy and install heat vent filters because they cause pressurization problems. If you notice there is too much dust blowing out of the vents, the smart move is to get the vents cleaned using the power vacuum/ air sweep method. The average cost of this cleaning service is $300-$700 but this depends on where you live and the company handling the job for you. Note that the company you patronize must be an ACCA (Air Conditioning Contractors of America) member. It is important you get this cleaning done without delay because a dirty or clogged system will reduce the life span of your HVAC system. On the other hand, keeping your HVAC system clean all the time will give you the following benefits. First off, you reduce unpleasant odors, improve energy efficiency and increase the life expectancy of your cooling and heating system. You also improve all-around airflow and spend less on both maintenance and repair.
Some solutions that an HVAC company or contractor may suggest:
If you live in an older building, you may notice certain problems with your cooling and heating system. In some of these buildings, air ducts were sized incorrectly and this is because of two reasons. The relevant authorities at the time did not carry out effective supervision so standards were compromised. Another reason is that some builders and contractors wanted to cut cost by doing their own ductwork instead of contracting the job to a qualified and competent expert. These days, the relevant supervising and regulatory agencies insist on the right thing and this is why home comforts (in terms of heating and cooling) have improved dramatically. If you live in an older building, your licensed HVAC contractor may recommend that you carry out some of the measures below.
– Let me get rid of all of your ducts and start over! Well, on paper this sounds good, but in practice, it is not realistic because of time, cost and convenience.
– I can improve your home’s HVAC system by getting rid of the old furnace and give you a truly impressive and efficient one. In this case, the HVAC expert is talking about technicalities and the effective functioning of your HVAC system. You have to go with his expert assessment because he will give you an improved system. A better system will improve efficiency and the best part is that you even qualify for a $50.00 EPACT tax credit. Apparently, even the federal government wants you to go for this, so you should take advantage of the offer.
– Your home does not appear to have enough return air openings and this is a huge problem because enough air does not enter the duct system. In this case, the HVAC experts will tell you that they need to add more openings to the existing ones. This way, they can get additional CFM into the HVAC system. This way, your AC indoor evaporator coil can stop freezing. This sounds good because you’re already paying more money on cooling and then there is the fact that your AC doesn’t even keep your house cool enough! You need to let the HVAC experts solve the problem so that you can save good money on your monthly utility bills and enjoy a cool summer this year.
– You know, your ducts are sized correctly. The problem is that all of the air is escaping into certain areas of the house because the construction of the ductwork is not as good as it should be. If we go ahead and seal up these places, the system will work better for you. There is nothing wrong with this move because it will ensure you have a more efficient HVAC system and you will even save money on your utility bills.
– You know, it seems to me that all of your ductwork is correctly sized. However, the return leg attached to your furnace is undersized. This is where the problem lies because it is acting as a choke point. If we rip this leg, we can simply install a bigger one with a greater dimension and this will improve the air supply.
– You know, your home builder was too busy cutting corners. He should have installed two separate systems considering the size of your home. We recommend you have two smaller systems because this will actually cost you less and will provide greater comfort.
– You know, we recommend you zone your current system. Having three different thermostats to control different temperatures in your home is an excellent idea and it will not cost that much.
– Your evaporator coil is completely plugged and this restricts a lot of the air that should be circulating freely. With a power vacuum air duct cleaner, we will get the job done and solve the problem for you.
You see, some of these jobs will cost just a few hundred dollars or less. Some of the more elaborate solutions discussed here will cost thousands of dollars. The point is that at the end of the day, the job will be done and you will enjoy peace of mind. Now, some experts may offer may than one solution. If you have any questions, you should not hesitate to ask because it is your home and it is your money. Discuss all the options with the expert and be sure you understand what is involved before paying for the service. One thing you should do is check out the experts even before you start discussing with them. The right professional for you is the one registered with and licensed by the ACCA. When you have found the right professional, you can go ahead and let them work their magic on your cooling and heating system. At the end of the day, the price will be worth it because you get to enjoy an efficient and effective cooling and heating system. This means that your home is cool on hot days and delightfully warm on cold days. In addition, you save money on utility bills and your HVAC system gives you many years of effective service. It doesn’t get much better than this. Find a great HVAC Westminster professional and you will be happy.
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