Here in the Route 495/128 area of Massachusetts, many local homeowners share a common home comfort hurdle. Often, seemingly unrelated HVAC problems stem from this one important issue: poor planning when designing a duct system.
This issue may cause:
- Uneven home heating
- Rooms that never get warm enough
- Stale air in certain parts of the house
- Condensation and mold
- Ever-increasing energy bills
How does bad duct design happen? Perhaps designing a duct system came as an afterthought to the original builder. Design may have been done quickly and/or by a non-expert. Installation may have been similarly rushed, with shortcuts taken.
Alternatively, a new addition to the home may have been ducted improperly or inadequately. A new home-comfort system may have been added without enlarging the existing duct system. Over time, due to inadequate maintenance or improper installation, ductwork may develop leaks hidden within walls or under flooring. The bottom line is, there are many ways for duct design to go wrong.
Professional techniques can be used to locate the root problem and repair/retrofit the ductwork to provide proper home comfort. Ask your local HVAC expert to inspect your system. The following common design flaws can then be corrected:
- Excessively long duct runs: Long and winding ducts can lead to blockages, inadequate airflow or leaks from twisting of the ducts, or leakage at one of the many joints. Repair and sealing may solve the problem, or a retrofit to short, straight duct runs may be required.
- Ducts exist outside of conditioned spaces, in building cavities and/or exterior walls: This scenario results in wasted energy, high monthly bills and a compromise in home comfort. Ducts should be insulated or rerouted.
- Unbalanced airflow: Ideally there should be a return air grille in each room. Work-arounds can be used to accommodate centralized returns, such as adding transfer grilles and jumper ducts where there are no direct returns. Besides stale air, low airflow or depressurization can result, causing mold or drawing unconditioned outside air indoors.
Questions about designing a duct system? Contact the experts at Rodenhiser Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning. Visit our website for valuable HVAC information or just give us a call. Helping homeowners along the Route 495/128 area of Massachusetts, we're always happy to help.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Solutions Guide.
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