As a homeowner, you most likely understand the importance of sealing and insulating your air ducts to reduce energy loss. Did you also know that ductwork design and installation plays just as important a role in your home’s efficiency? Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates, up to 75 percent of homes could be losing as much as $200 annually due to poorly designed ductwork.Ductwork design done right works hand in hand with your heating and air conditioning system. It should be able to distribute the conditioned air evenly throughout the house.Especially when combined with a high-efficiency system, ducts that aren’t correctly sized can compromise performance. If you’ve recently replaced your HVAC system with a higher efficiency unit, but haven’t updated your ductwork, you could be losing energy.Efficient ductwork design should take into account the floor plan of the house, including potential obstructions, roof hips, fire-walls, and the direction of joists. It should also cater to the specific airflow load required for each room. This helps maintain overall comfort and pressure levels throughout the house.Sheet metal is the most efficient material for ductwork, due to its smooth surface, which facilitates airflow. Another design factor contributing to performance are smooth curves as opposed to sharp angles. Sharp angles can cause the air to “wrinkle,” slowing it down in the system. It’s also important to maintain neutral pressure with return supply vents in every room, or at least one vent in a central location on each floor.As conditioned air moves away from the core of your high efficiency HVAC system, it loses energy. Because it has less energy, it needs a more compact space to move through. That’s why ducts should get smaller as they branch through your home. It keeps air flow circulating without becoming sluggish.Don’t compromise the performance of your high efficiency HVAC system with low efficiency ductwork. Call Air Assurance for expert ductwork design. We'll be happy to give you a professional evaluation, update your ducts, or simply to answer your questions.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, click here. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.
Air Conditioning, Air ducts, Energy Evaluations, IAQ – Indoor Air Quality