Get the Most From Your System by Aiming and Redirecting Vents

While the ample rainfall and rolling hills of the Broken Arrow area make the outdoors enjoyable nearly year round, getting your indoor temperatures just right still takes some planning. Redirecting vents lets you fine tune your heating and cooling system to maximize your comfort.

Managing Airflow in Your Rooms

Standard vent covers protect your ducts from debris and reduce drafts, but they don't direct airflow. If drafts are your main problem, installing a vent diffuser can help. Alternatively, install decorative Victorian-style vent covers with intricate scroll designs that diffuse airflow more effectively than standard grills.A vent deflector helps with redirecting vents more accurately. This device sits over the vent to guide air away from a wall, sofa, curtains or other surface, and focus it toward your living space.To get more air from a vent under an item of furniture, install a vent extender. Shaped like a low, flat tunnel, this channels air out from under the obstruction so more of it reaches your living space. If you're planning to build cabinetry over a vent, install a toe kick register into the toe kick recess at the bottom of the cabinet so air can escape.

Managing Airflow in Your Duct System

If there's a room or part of a room where you don't want airflow, you can close the vent entirely. This allows the air to flow back into the duct system and out to other rooms. Place an adjustable vent deflector over the vent and lower top of the deflector to limit or block airflow as required. If you have metal vent grilles, you can apply magnetic vent covers to block the air flow.Make sure no more than 10 percent of your vents are closed. Closing more than this creates excess air pressure in your ducts, which leads to wasteful air leakage and damages your system's components. For a more efficient way to direct airflow, ask your technician about installing a zoning system.

For tips on redirecting vents and other ways to stay more comfortable affordably, contact us at Air Assurance anywhere around Broken Arrow.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Kevin_Hsieh/Shutterstock”

Guide to Understanding Manuals J, D, and S

During an HVAC system installation, there are several important technical elements that must be taken into account to ensure the system is correct for your home and that it will work at its best. The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) publishes three technical references that provide all the guidance, procedures, and best practices that your HVAC professional will need for a successful installation. Here is a brief introduction to Manuals J, D, and S, and what they cover.

Manual J — Residential Load Calculation

Manual J provides all the technical guidance necessary for a residential load calculation. Each building has a heating or cooling load, which is the amount of heating or cooling needed to keep the inside spaces at the temperature the residents prefer. A load calculation takes into consideration multiple thermal and physical characteristics of the building to determine its load. Once your HVAC professional knows the building's load, he can easily guide you to the type of HVAC equipment that has the functional capacity to satisfy that load.

Manual D — Residential Duct Systems

Manual D covers the ductwork in residential settings. The HVAC system ductwork is the network of pipes that directs heated or cooled air from your HVAC equipment to the inside of your home. Ductwork must be properly designed, installed, sealed, and insulated to ensure it carries conditioned air without loss of energy and without wasteful air leaks.

Manual S — Residential Heating and Cooling Equipment Selection

Manual S includes detailed technical specifications and performance information on multiple brands of air conditioners and heat pumps. This type of data helps your HVAC pro choose the best equipment for your particular needs. Manual S also provides additional information on equipment sizing, ventilation, and air distribution.

With more than three decades of experience in the HVAC industry, Air Assurance brings top-quality sales, installation, maintenance, and repair to customers in Tulsa and the neighboring communities. Contact us today for more information on Manuals J, D, and S and how these important technical references are used to ensure the best possible HVAC performance in your home.

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Decide If It’s Time to Replace Your Ductwork

Ductwork is the key component of your HVAC system that delivers conditioned air to all the rooms in your home. Since it's hidden away behind your ceilings and walls, you may not realize the duct system is in poor condition and having a negative impact on your energy bills, comfort and indoor air quality. Here are some subtle warning signs of deteriorating ducts that are easy to identify:

• Temperature variations in different areas, and hot or cold spots.

• Excessive dust on the registers, household surfaces and furniture.

• Worsening allergies, asthma and other breathing problems.

• Evidence of mold growth inside the HVAC system.

• Rising heating and cooling costs due to a loss of energy efficiency.

Factors to Weigh When Deciding on Duct Replacement

If you're experiencing the symptoms of ductwork problems, you can weigh the following factors to help you decide if it's due for replacement:

• Workmanship and age. If the duct system wasn't designed well, made from quality materials and installed correctly, it may only have a 10- to 15-year service life.

• Condition of the accessible ducting. Take a close look at the exposed ducting in your crawl space, attic or garage for issues such as disconnected spans, leaky joints, dust streaks near the seams, or rust and corrosion.

• Airflow inconsistencies and temperature variations. Reduced air volume at some registers and temperature differences between rooms can be symptoms of hidden duct problems such as collapsed or disconnected sections, decaying sealant or missing insulation.

• Air leakage. If you want to know the extent of air leakage in the ducts, get a blower test performed. During the test, the ducts are pressurized and the amount of airflow needed to maintain that pressure is measured to calculate air loss.

If you need help deciding if replacement is your best option, have the duct system inspected by an experienced HVAC professional. A knowledgeable contractor will make sure new ducts are properly designed and installed, then sealed, insulated, and tested for leaks.

For expert advice about whether it's time to replace the ductwork in your Broken Arrow home, contact us today at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “iQoncept/Shutterstock”

Good Ductwork Design Will Pay Off In Savings And Comfort

With new home construction, good ductwork design must begin with the blueprints for greatest energy efficiency, heating and cooling performance, and uncompromising comfort year after year. Follow these duct-design principles to maximize your investment.Principles of good ductwork design Balanced air flow throughout your home involves equal air movement through the supply and return ducts, which is made possible by correct duct sizing, location and sealing, and an unobstructed pathway for air circulation from registers to grilles.If these criteria are not met, problems often develop, such as pressure drops at the air handler, extra work for your heating and cooling systems, and moisture accumulation in walls, ceiling and/or floors that invites mold growth.

• To correctly size your new duct system, Manual J and D by the Air Conditioning Contractor of America must be used. Manual J is used to calculate heat gain/loss for each room of your home. With the measurements for heating and cooling requirements in hand, your HVAC professional uses Manual D to design the size and layout of your ducts.

• It’s important where ducts, registers, grilles and the heating and cooling systems are located in your home. The heating and cooling systems should be in a central location to allow for shorter, straighter duct runs. Registers and grilles should be installed on inner walls, preferably with a return grille in each room that contains a supply register. To minimize heat loss (wasted energy) through duct walls by conduction, ducts should be installed in conditioned areas like sealed chases, suspended ceilings, corners of rooms and raised floors. Utilize Y-branches for run-offs rather than T-branches for efficient air flow.

• Properly sealing ductwork is an essential component for good ductwork design. Mechanically seal metal duct joints with screws and mastic sealant. Mastic sealant and compression straps are used to seal flex ducts. Install an expansion collar at the trunk and plenum to minimize stress and noise.

If you have questions about good ductwork design, please contact Air Assurance. For more than 30 years, we've provided top-quality service and installation for the Greater Broken Arrow area homeowners.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Designing And Maintaining An Energy-Efficient Duct System

It is not just how well your furnace system works that predicts home comfort and energy savings; your home’s duct system is just as critical because it works to deliver conditioned air all year long throughout your entire home. When there are deficiencies in its design, you’ll notice right away.Design that enhances efficiencyExperts have found that most home duct systems can perform under par by as much as 75 percent, so looking at design can net positive results. Not only can assessing your duct system save you money on a monthly basis, an efficient system can often mean that you can use a smaller heating system, reducing the purchase price of your next system.So just what should an efficient duct system do?

• The ducts should evenly distribute conditioned air into every room in your home, helping to avoid hot and cold zones.

• The duct system should be sized to allow for enough airflow through the heating system.

• The system itself should be thoroughly sealed to prevent energy losses, ensure airflow and enhance indoor air quality.

• The balance of the duct supply and return system should be equal, so that the home has adequate pressure.

• The system should maintain a consistent temperature for the air it holds -- starting from the location of its creation all the way to the farthest room of delivery. The same goes for the conditioned air’s return trip back through the heating system.

Maintenance that impacts efficiencyOne of the best ways to maintain your duct system is to evaluate its seal regularly. This single action will help to keep as much conditioned air as possible inside the ducts, so that all the rooms in your home receive warmth. Another maintenance step you should do is to keep supply registers unobstructed. Commonly located on the floor or lower wall, these registers are easy to inadvertently block with furniture or curtains.At Air Assurance Heating, Cooling & Air Quality, we've been serving homeowners in the Greater Broken Arrow area for more than 30 years, and we are happy to help you assess and maintain your duct system to maximize home comfort and energy savings.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!