How important is air flow and ductwork sizing?

Imagine your heart rate after jogging around the block two times. Now imagine jogging around the block two times with your mouth closed and holding one nostril closed. Big difference! You’ll likely be gasping for air and your heart will have to work a lot harder on that second jog.

The concept is the same for your duct system. When your HVAC equipment struggles for air due to poor duct design, the compressor - much like the body’s heart - will have to work a lot harder. Your duct system (which includes the plenum, the trunk line, the branch/supply lines, the supply boxes, return air, and the supply/return air grilles) must be professionally designed to handle the CFMs (cubic feet of air delivered per minute) of air your equipment requires to ensure your equipment in tandem with your duct system efficiently keeps your home comfortable year-round.

            Air Distribution is much more than “It’s blowin’ good!” Many important considerations factor into duct system design, such as:

  • Is the quantity of air being delivered to each room in the home correct?

  • Is the velocity (speed) of the air being delivered to each room in the home correct?

  • Is the air clean?

  • Is the duct system noisy?

  • Is the air pressure of the system correct so that it will heat and cool each room evenly and not put unnecessary strain on the components of your HVAC equipment?

  • Is the duct system sealed tightly and up to standards to ensure you’re not cooling your attic or sucking warm, humid air and/or dust into your home?

All our service technicians at Foster’s Air Conditioning & Heating are trained to look for any problems in your duct system that may be compromising your comfort and/or energy savings. They’ll alert you if they find any issues. However, if you notice uneven cooling/heating in your home, start to notice excessive dust, notice your unit is running longer than it used to, or are inconvenienced by a noisy duct system, give our team a call today. One of our friendly sales consultants will be happy to come out for a free inspection.