General Air Balancing Tricks and Tips from Your Trusted Fort Worth, TX Air Conditioning Service Provider to Get the Most Out of Your HVAC System
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If you live in Fort Worth, TX, you no doubt already have an air conditioning unit, but if you are not receiving annual air conditioning service to your unit you may not be getting the most out of your system. Systems need to be serviced regularly to help HVAC systems work efficiently and appropriately.
That said, even with regular ac service you may notice that your home still has hot and cold spots in it. This is likely because your home needs better air balancing. Air balancing will help increase the efficiency of your HVAC system, improve air circulation, and enhance the way your HVAC system performs. The bottom line is proper air balancing will compliment your air conditioning service to ensure you are getting the most out of your HVAC system.
Air balancing is a tricky art, and while there are a few ways that you can help balance the airflow in your home, there are many other air balancing techniques that require an HVAC service to help with. A trained HVAC technician in Fort Worth, TX has a bag full of tricks when it comes to balancing the airflow of a residential system. The following are some tips that can help you and your HVAC air conditioning service professional get the most out of your air balancing.
The 411 on Air Balancing
The goal of air balancing is to improve the way your current HVAC system works. If you notice hot and cold spots throughout your home then some modifications need to be made to ensure that air from your HVAC system is evenly being distributed around your house. In a perfect world, all zones within your home would receive the same amount of heat or air conditioning transfer. To obtain this perfect state, you may need air balancing services performed by a Fort Worth, TX air conditioning service company.
Play with Your Registers
This first trick you can try on your own before you call in an air conditioning service to help. Simply move the damper blade in certain rooms to either restrict or increase the airflow into the room. You never want to completely close an air vent because this can cause bigger problems within your HVAC system, but you can move the damper blade around.
In general, if you are trying to increase the power of your air conditioning unit and you want to improve the cooling on higher floors, then you should open your upper floor registers fully and partially close registers on your lower floors. Heat rises, so you need the bulk of your AC to travel upwards to evenly cool your home. Remember though, that when the weather cools you will need to reverse this process to heat your home.
Check Your Air Filters
If it has been a while since you have had an air conditioning service appointment, then uneven cooling in your home can be caused by dirty filters. Air filters play a large role in your HVAC systems ability to cool your home. Not only does it improve the air quality in your home, but it also extends the life of your HVAC system and increases its efficiency. Better efficiency means lower energy costs so it is worth it to make sure your filters are changed yearly. A yearly HVAC service appointment should include changing your air filters.
Have Your Ductwork Evaluated
If you are still having issues after taking care of these easy steps, then it may be time to call an HVAC professional to take some professional air balancing measures. One of the first things that an HVAC expert will do is take a look at your ductwork.
He or she will be looking for damage to your ductwork or defects. If there are any issues with your ductwork then it can cause air to be unevenly distributed around your home. Believe it or not, the airflow in your ducts can also become off balance which can lead to some rooms to be too hot while other rooms are too cool. Usually, ductwork can be fixed by refitting or sealing junctions, insulating ducts, or at the very least eliminating sharp turns that might be impeding airflow. A trained air conditioning service expert should be able to guide you through the process.
Consider Adding Return Ducts or Air Handlers
Sometimes your HVAC system may require a new component to solve air balancing issues. This is another good reason to get an air conditioning service involved as you troubleshoot the issue. Adding a second return duct often can help reduce static pressure in your home if there is a bottleneck on the side of a present return.
On the other hand, you may need another air handler if you have an HVAC system that heats and cools. A basement air handler will be able to push warm air compared to cool air since warm air rises. By adding another air handler on the second floor to push cool air down you solve this problem. Booster fans or turning up the fan speed during cooling can also remedy this issue. A trained professional from an air conditioning service company can advise you on the best fix for your home.
Insulation Issues
Improper insulation can cause issues outside of your ductwork as well. If your home is not properly insulated than fixing the registers and the ductwork alone will not fix the problem of rooms that are too hot or too cold. Improper window insulation in several rooms in your home, for example, may explain why they tend to be warmer than others (because the AC is leaking out of the windows). Doors are other common culprits when it comes to air loss as are improperly insulated attics.
Fixing insulation issues will not only help you maintain an even temperature in your home, but it will also help you reduce your energy costs. Energy leakage is the most costly part of heating or cooling your home. The more energy you can trap in your house, the less you need to consume which will, in turn, lower your monthly bills. Contact One Hour Air Conditioning and Heating to schedule an appointment today!