In the midst of intense Texas heat, efficient airflow is vital to your home’s HVAC system. Without efficient, effective airflow, you’re likely to suffer uncomfortable, stuffy temperatures inside or stiflingly high cooling bills. But how do you achieve the right airflow for your home? It’s all in the design of your ducts. Duct size, layout, and installation all play a role in the air flow of your home — and the mistakes that can impact your air flow.
Size
If your home feels stuffy in the summer and cold in the winter, despite blasting your HVAC system, there’s a good chance your ducts are incorrectly sized. Hot or cold spots and distracting noises coming from the ducts can also be the results of incorrectly sized HVAC ducts. If your ducts are too small, the motor has to work harder, which can cause the system to wear out and break down more frequently. Oversized ducts can also be a problem, especially if they’re too large for the fan. You’ll end up with a lower cfm of heating or cooling, causing an uncomfortable home.
Layout
Ductwork requires an intricate design, and even seemingly small mistakes can lead to big airflow problems. The longer the duct might be, for instance, the more energy is required to run air through it. There’s also a stronger chance of leakage with long ducts. Sharp turns also require more energy and tend to decrease the amount of heating or cooling that actually reaches the room, so you’ll be both uncomfortable in your home and in your HVAC bills. Every conditioned room in the house should also have a return-air duct in order to ensure the system runs as efficiently as possible.
Installation
It also matters who you hire to install the ducts. For instance, some contractors might not seal the ducts during installation, or might not properly seal them. Leakage is a serious problem for air ducts, which causes you to pay for more heating and cooling than you’re actually receiving. Unsealed ducts are also more susceptible to airborne contaminants and humidity. An experienced contractor will also take into consideration the right size for your needs and the most efficient layout for your air ducts.
A Ductless System
If you don’t want to deal with the headache of ductwork or duct installation, a solution might be installing a ductless system. Ductless systems are much simpler and can cover multiple zones of the house, so with the right ductless system, you can in fact be very comfortable. They also tend to have higher SEER ratings than duct systems. However, they are less comprehensive than central AC through use of ductwork, and you may still have hot or cold spots throughout the house. In terms of airflow, the right central system will still serve you better.
Whatever choice you make, it’s important to have the help of the right contractor. At Air Solutions in Bryan-College Station, we have 50 years of combined experience and we know all the problems to watch out for when it comes to duct installation. Contact us today for more information on the right cooling system for you.