During the snowy winter in Northeast Ohio, you depend on your furnace to keep your family warm and comfortable. Your furnace, however, is only as good as the ductwork that delivers the heated air. If your furnace is producing adequate heat and functioning properly, but your rooms are uncomfortable or not evenly heated, it’s time to inspect your duct-system layout. You can lower your energy costs by checking these few basic details of the design.
Ductwork appropriately sized?
- The size of your ductwork is important for an adequate flow of air to your rooms. When your furnace produces heated air, it travels through ducts to your rooms. If the ducts are too small, the furnace works harder to produce the heat needed to warm the rooms. When the ducts are too large, the furnace fan will not generate the velocity needed to move the air efficiently through the ducts to your rooms.
Ductwork centrally located?
- Ideally, the ductwork will be centrally located, with the main branch operating off the furnace and separate ducts running from the main branch to your rooms. This type of duct-system layout is cost-effective and encourages an even circulation of air throughout your home.
Sufficient supply registers and return grilles?
- The furnace will furnish sufficient heat to your rooms, if each room has a supply register and return grille. Some older homes only have registers and grilles on each level of the home, making it difficult to achieve an even circulation of air. The lack of registers and grilles will create cold spots in the home and uneven air pressure. Inserting dampers in the supply ducts will help correct the volume of air to your rooms, but the addition of registers and grilles will greatly improve the quantity of heat to your rooms.
At Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning, our professional technicians will evaluate your duct-system layout and make recommendations to improve the effectiveness of your furnace and ductwork so they operate in unison to provide a comfortable home for your family. If you live in Lorain, Erie or Cuyahoga county, please contact our friendly staff for further information on ductwork design.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about duct design and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area