For obvious reasons, heating and cooling efficiency is important to many homeowners. There’s a direct relation between efficiency on the one hand and home comfort and energy savings on the other. Most people really only consider changing the filter or having a professional tune up their heating and cooling equipment. While both of these are great for maintaining your home’s energy efficiency, duct testing should also be considered.
Reasons to test ductwork
When not properly installed and maintained, ductwork can become disconnected or begin to develop holes and leaks. This means that a noticeable percentage of the warm or cool air is being lost through the ductwork before it reaches your living spaces. If your HVAC equipment has to work harder to condition the air, this will drive up heating and cooling costs.
Leaky ducts may also pull in polluted air that is then spread throughout the home. This will result in poor air quality in the home, which can pose a number of health risks for you and your family.
Duct testing methods
There are two main methods used by professionals to test the condition of the ductwork in your home. The first method is called the duct-testing method. The professional will use a calibrated fan to slowly pressurize the ductwork in your home. The fan will measure the amount of airflow reaching the other end of the ducts. This will allow the professional to know how much, if any, of the air is leaking out of the ducts.
The second test is called the pressurization subtraction method. This method uses a high-powered fan to pressurize the area being heated or cooled. The space is first pressurized with the ductwork open and then a second time with the ducts blocked off. While less accurate than the duct-testing method, this is still a trusted duct test.
Ductwork should be tested when a new heating and cooling unit is installed and when the system receives a tune-up from a professional. For more information on duct testing, please contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning. We provide quality HVAC services to Lorain, Erie and Cuyahoga counties.
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 testing 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