the duct system is the most important component of your indoor comfort system A primer on duct design and installation practices.
As we have said, the Variable Speed Air Handler is the hub of your Indoor Comfort System. You could also say it’s the heart of your Indoor Comfort System.
So, if the Variable Speed Air Handler is the heart, the central duct system is the veins and arteries of your home’s Indoor Comfort System.
We at Central Air Systems utilize the highest standards in our design and installation of your Indoor Comfort System. We have taken the following engineering measures to ensure significant comfort advantages for you and your family.
DUCT DESIGN Unlike commercial buildings, today’s homes are rarely designed with the mechanical systems in mind. Why? It’s simple – cost! Less than 5% of the Residential New Construction HVAC contractors employ the people or have the expertise and knowledge to mechanically design the heating and cooling system in a home.
Unlike our competitors, we at Central Air Systems realize that the homes built today are basically small commercial buildings. The old mechanical rules of thumb for a 1,200 square foot home simply do not apply to today’s 3,000+ square foot homes. A 21st Century home must be properly engineered and designed.
At Central Air Systems, we begin with the home’s blueprints. Our engineers calculate room-by-room airflow, based upon ACCA “Manual J” guidelines. This information gives us the correct BTU heat gain and loss for each room. Therefore, we know the exact requirement of airflow, measured by CFM (cubic feet per minute), for each room. Without this critical information, no home could be properly design engineered.
Now, let’s talk about how the duct system plays a most important role in your home. I’m sure you’ve heard from doctors about high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. Is there a correlation between these common medical conditions and your home’s duct system? Yes, there is!
Undersized ducts, too many “Branch Y” ducts, pinched and twisted ducts, all play a part in contributing to the “heart failure” of a home’s mechanical system.
There are two major pieces of material evidence between a Central Air Systems duct system and our competitors’ duct systems:
Designing a system that properly delivers airflow to each room. At Central Air Systems, we run “parallel ducts” instead of one large trunk line.
“Tee-Wye’s” versus “Pant-Wye’s”. At Central Air Systems, we use as many “Pant-Wye’s” in our system as possible. This, coupled with the parallel duct runs gives the optimum balance of air within your home. (See example below)
Now, let’s talk about the return air duct system. Many homeowners don’t realize that the return air system is as important as the ducts that supply air to your rooms. At Central Air Systems, we take extra steps to insure that a properly designed return air duct system will result in balanced temperatures throughout your home.
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How is this possible? Utilizing the design of one of the West Coast’s most renowned mechanical engineers, we add an extra return air grille and duct system in two-story homes as a standard practice. This extra return alleviates the stratification associated with hot air that hovers in your second story. You know the routine – your thermostat is set for cooling on the first floor, but upstairs you’re not completely comfortable. An extra return air duct system can vastly improve the temperature balance in your home.
DUCT INSTALLATION As we previously mentioned, the typical home has a duct system that leaks an average of 27%, according to industry statistics. This includes even new homes that have been constructed within the past five years. Are you living in one of those homes? How would you know if your duct system is leaking?
The fact is, until last year most homebuilders in some states participated in a duct-testing program sponsored by the major utility companies. At the time of testing, the duct system might have passed the leakage test. However, only 6 months later, that same duct system could be as leaky as a sieve! How is this possible?
The contractor used only duct tape to attach the ducts to start collars, reducers and other connections. Central Air Systems utilizes duct tape AND tie bands (along with elastomeric glue at the plenum/coil connections) to ensure a tight seal that is virtually impermeable for years.
The contractor used 3” long start collars, and was unable to properly wrap the duct tape around that small collar. Central Air Systems utilizes custom-made 8” long start collars, which lets our installers properly wrap enough duct tape around each collar.
The contractor was careless when installing the return air cans, thus the entire return air system became unsealed and subject to major leakage. This can lead to a hazardous condition inside the home. Central Air Systems employs careful duct installation practices so that your home’s return air system will never fail.
The contractor carelessly crammed duct through chases without regard to the performance of airflow. A kink in ductwork can result in a 50-75% loss in airflow, yet homeowners are completely in the dark when it comes to the integrity of the duct system in their homes. These same kinks can put enormous pressure on the duct system, enough to separate the duct after a period of time. Central Air Systems installers preserve the functionality of its duct systems by carefully creating gentle bends in their duct runs.
If you have noticed problems with airflow in several rooms throughout your home, it’s likely due to imperfect duct design and installation. Let Central Air Systems lend its expertise to correct these problems and provide you with the comfort you deserve.
Yes, Central Air Systems’ systems cost more than our competitors. But it’s that extra attention to detail that can make all the difference in indoor comfort for you and your family.
