Duct Work
Ensuring efficiency by correctly sizing your ductwork
The first step that you should take when you’re designing an efficient duct system is to ensure that you correctly size it. How do you do that? Here are several factors to consider:
- The size of your heating and cooling system.
- The distance from your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) to your home’s furthest air-supply register.
- A heat gain and loss measurement.
- The thermal dynamics and layout of your home. This includes square footage, orientation to the sun, windows and their size, and other factors that contribute to airflow distribution. Ducts should take the shortest path from the air handler to registers, and avoid unconditioned areas when possible. Additionally, you should insulate ducts in unconditioned areas to avoid energy loss.
Ensuring optimal airflow to guarantee your comfort
Balanced air distribution provides comfort for you and your loved ones and, optimal conditions for HVAC function. It prevents energy and air quality issues, such as air infiltration of outside air from an attached garage. For optimal airflow, ensure that your home’s registers are not obstructed and, locate return grilles centrally on each floor of your home’s living space. Additionally, if you have rooms or areas that you typically keep closed off, you can use jumper ducts and transfer grilles.
Ensuring efficiency with a durable design
Ducts undergo substantial stress over time, due mostly to expansion and contraction from temperature changes and air flow. Ensure that you seal duct connection, collars with mastic and mesh. Anything less likely will cost you more because you’ll probably have to pay for ductwork repairs and you’ll waste energy. Your designed and installed ductwork should extend as straight as possible, utilizing sloping turns when necessary to optimize airflow.
Your home’s ductwork is a valuable investment that has consequences not only for your comfort and energy expenses, but for the efficiency of all of your home-comfort systems. Contact KAPPA-AIR LLC for more information about properly designing and installing ductwork.