A home’s duct system should be designed to minimize the potential for air leaks, obstructions and the buildup of debris, while delivering conditioned air in the most efficient manner possible. When designing and installing duct systems, ducts should be placed within air conditioned (or heated) spaces as much as possible. With this sort of proper duct system design, ducts will be unlikely to lose hot or cold air because they will be surrounded by air of a similar temperature.
While even efficiently designed duct systems may lose some energy, a home’s HVAC system that’s losing more than 20-30 percent of its energy through faulty ductwork is in serious need of servicing.
Maintenance and Improvements
Although the initial duct system design of a home has a significant impact on the duct system’s effectiveness, improvements are usually possible. The interior design of a home can facilitate air flow through ducts. Furniture and home decor accessories should not be placed over a register because they can obstruct air flow. Leaky ducts should be sealed to improve their performance. Leaky ductwork should be sealed with either mastic or acrylic-adhesive foil tape, and registers can be lined on their inside edges with weatherstripping. A trained professional can inspect your ducts, find any leaks and repair them. This is generally preferable to a homeowner trying to find leaks in difficult to access areas of the home.
Another HVAC maintenance issue involves dirty ductwork. The health of a home’s duct system can affect the cleanliness of air within a home, in addition to the effectiveness of temperature controls. Air filters installed in the ductwork must be regularly inspected and changed when they get dirty, and registers can be vacuumed to remove buildup. Possible air flow obstructions include:
Those looking for HVAC assistance in Springdale and the surrounding area can rely on the expertise of Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. Our company has been servicing HVAC systems in northwest Arkansas homes for more than 45 years. Please contact us for more information on our HVAC services.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Northwest Arkansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about duct systemsand other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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