The blueprints of your home contain a page with your HVAC requirements. That way, the internal ducts must be laid out, as well as the size of the register that should be placed in each room. It also contains other important information about the recommended HVAC system for your home.
Air Balancing in Your Home
In this post, we will focus on Air Balancing, which the CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) number refers to on the blueprint.
What is Air Balancing?
Air balancing, or as some may call it, “air balance” is how the air flows through the ductwork and registers. A house with poor air balancing will have an area where the airflow is too low and another area where the airflow is too high. To correct this, the contractor will add or remove registers to balance out the airflow.
What Causes the Air Flow to Be Unbalanced
The airflow may be unbalanced for a variety of reasons. One of the most common reasons is that there is too much resistance to the airflow in the duct. A lot of returns and registers should be avoided. This will increase the resistance in the duct and cause the airflow to be uneven.
Another reason for an unbalanced airflow is the size of the return registers and the size of the ducts leading to the return registers. If the returns are too big, they will cause an unbalanced airflow. If the ducts are too small or the returns are too big, the airflow will be uneven.
Another cause of unbalanced air flow is too many air leaks. Air leaks can be caused by many things, such as ducts that were not installed correctly or registers that were not sealed properly. Duct tape does not work for sealing registers. The duct tape will dry out and fall off.
How to Determine an Air Balancing Issue
One of the best ways to determine an air balancing issue is by using a blower door test. In a blower door test, a massive fan is installed on the exterior of the house. The fan continuously blows air into the ductwork and registers on the inside of the home.
By doing this, you can see the airflow in each room. If you notice that in some parts of the house, the air is too high, and in another area, it is too low, you may have an air balancing issue.
The Importance of Air Balancing
Air balancing is important because it allows your HVAC system to work properly. If the airflow is uneven, the HVAC system will have to work harder to keep the house at the desired temperature. This will increase the electricity and gas usage, which in return improves your utility bills.
If the airflow is uneven, the ducts can develop pressure differences. This will cause the ducts to vibrate. The vibration in the ducts can cause the ducts to break or crack, leading to leaking. All of these are problems that should be avoided.
How to Find a Contractor for Air Balancing
If you suspect that you have an air balancing issue, you should first call a contractor to come and check the ducts. After they inspect the ductwork, they will let you know whether or not you have an air balancing issue and give you an estimate to fix the problem.
How to Improve Your Home’s Air Balancing Issues
There are many steps you can do to improve the air balancing issues in your home, such as:
- Add a return to each bedroom. This will allow the airflow to be evenly distributed throughout the home.
- Avoid multiple small returns. Have only one return in each bedroom. Having multiple small returns will cause the airflow to be unbalanced.
- Use the same size ducts throughout the system. There should be no difference in the size of the ducts going to the returns and the ducts going to the supply registers.
- Seal all air leaks. Air leaks can be caused by many things, such as ducts that were not installed properly, or registers that were not sealed properly. Duct tape does not work for sealing registers. The duct tape will dry out and fall off.
- Install a blower door. A blower door test will allow you to see the airflow in each room. You can then see which areas need more registers.
- Install a humidity control system. A humidity control system will add an air conditioner to a part of the ductwork. This will help to balance out the airflow.
- Add a vent to the attic. If you have an attic, you should add a vent to the attic. This will help to reduce the pressure in the ducts.
- Replace registers with dampers. Dampers will allow you to regulate the amount of airflow that is coming into the room. This will make it easier to maintain the desired temperature in the room.
- Replace registers with grilles. A grille is galvanized steel that is put in front of the register. This will allow you to control the airflow more than a register with a damper without getting cold air from the outside.
- Replace registers with blowers. Blowers are similar to grilles in that they are placed in front of the register. Blowers are better than grilles because they have a built-in damper.
Each of these steps will make it easier to control the airflow in your home and therefore make it easier for your HVAC system to keep the house at the desired temperature.
The Bottomline
When it comes to air balancing, there are a lot of details that must be looked at before making a final decision. The size of the ducts, the register size, the size of the return, and other factors will all have to be considered.
That’s why it is so important to hire a professional to complete the inspection. They will be able to identify whether or not your house has an air balancing issue, and they will be able to fix the issue.
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