The efficiency and effectiveness of your Los Angeles home’s HVAC system relies on more than just your air conditioner, furnace and/or heat pump’s efficiency ratings. The air ducts that circulate air throughout your home’s living spaces are critical aspects of your household’s overall energy-efficiency. Ensuring good ductwork design is implemented in both new home constructions and remodels can guarantee a better operating HVAC system.
Unfortunately, it is common for ductwork to be designed poorly, leading to system inefficiencies. If you are having a new home constructed, or retrofitting an existing home, contact a professional HVAC contractor who employs Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) measurement standards. He or she should use calculations from Manual D (air duct designs and sizing) in conjunction with Manual S (guidelines for heating and cooling system selection) and Manual J (heat gain and loss calculations).
To help ensure your whole system operates more effectively and efficiently, ensure that the following basic principles of good ductwork design are followed:
- Standard configurations. There are configurations that have proven to be effective, and then there are those that have not. Stick to a system that works, such as the radial and trunk-and-branch approaches.
- Correctly size ductwork. A professional technician should be using calculations from the above manuals to correctly size air ducts for both your home and its installed HVAC equipment. When air ducts are too small or too large, they become unable to either carry enough conditioned air to keep occupants comfortable, or cause large energy losses that lead to high utility bills.
- Install multiple air-return ducts. Air-return ducts are what return spent air to your central HVAC equipment. Ensure that at least one is installed in each room, as well as in high-traffic areas such as hallways.
- Insulate and protect. Air duct segments should be installed in insulated and conditioned areas. This helps prevent heat energy loss.
To learn more about the basic principles behind good ductwork design, contact your local HVAC experts at Around the Clock Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. Our professional technicians have been proudly serving Los Angeles and surrounding California residents since 1967.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Los Angeles, North Hollywood and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about ductwork design and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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