The ductwork in your Indianapolis home plays a crucial role in your HVAC system’s performance, and poorly installed or maintained duct systems can reduce your home’s heating and cooling efficiency by up to 40 percent. If you are building a new home or remodeling your current one, make sure your contractor follows these principles of good ductwork design for an energy-efficient home:
Principles of Good Ductwork Design:
- Proper Sizing: All air ducts should be properly sized for the rooms they serve. This should start with a Manual J load calculation to determine the proper size of HVAC system to install for the home. The duct system should then be designed using the procedures in the Manual D Residential Duct Systems Guide.
- Duct Design: Duct runs should be as short as possible to minimize heat losses or gains, and they should have as few turns or other obstructions to air flow as possible. The ducts should be designed in accordance with the building’s plans to make sure all obstructions are accounted for. When possible, ducts should be located in conditioned spaces to further reduce heat loss and gain.
- Duct Installation: Ducts should be fabricated according to the sizes and materials listed on the ductwork design. Each section should be screwed or clamped to together and sealed with mastic or metal tape, and the ducts should be insulated along their lengths, especially if they run through unconditioned spaces. Ducts should be properly supported with the appropriate hangers and not allowed to sag or be crushed or pinched.
- Air Flow Balance: Return air flow and supply air flow should be balanced, preventing positive or negative pressures from developing within the home, which can cause heat loss, heat gain or back-drafting of combustion gases from appliances such as furnaces. Return and supply vents should not be located too close to each other.
For more information about good ductwork design principles and how they can help your HVAC system perform better, contact our professionals at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing today. We serve Indianapolis and the surrounding areas.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Chatchawan/Shutterstock”
