The shock of escalating utility bills might have you considering upgrading your HVAC system. What should you learn about these more recent A/C systems?
It appears that fuel expenses aren’t going to decreasing any longer. The more current heating and cooling system systems are a lot more effective than older units and use substantial lasting energy cost savings. The Government has actually mandated that any cooling systems should have a SEER rating of a minimum of 13 beginning in 2006 and this is outstanding, because a twenty-year system may have a SEER rating of only 7 or 8. Nevertheless, for real savings, you must take a look at your entire house as an energy consuming beast that needs to be put on a diet plan. This consists of repairing air leaking windows and door seals.
It does bit excellent to change an older HVAC system and expect a wonderful decrease in utility bills if you do not look after the places where you are losing energy. New A/C systems are expensive and the temptation may be to simply install a new high-efficiency furnace and air-conditioning system and hope for the best. The reality is, the decrease in utility bills may be discouraging since you may have overlooked a considerable player in the entire HVAC system like the ductwork.
An improperly produced, leaking and under-insulated ductwork system can squander 30 percent or more of the cash you pay to run your cooling and heating unit and nullify any gain you might realize by establishing a new high-efficiency system. Various duct systems are improperly insulated and leak conditioned air into un-conditioned attics and crawl spaces. Specialists generally find disconnected ductwork throughout many house assessments.
When ducts leak, conditioned air can be displaced unsealed joints and lost. In addition, also un-conditioned air can likewise be drawn into return ducts through unsealed joints. Attic temperature can be exceptionally high in the summer and cold in the winter. So, any attic air that enters your system through un-sealed duct joints will need to be cooled in the summer and heated up in the winter season, this increases the load on your system and increases your energy expense.
Surprisingly an older home may have a much better-designed duct system than a new home and might simply need a leak check insulation upgrade. More recent homes, on the other hand, might be a victim of cost-cutting procedures and badly created duct systems.
Utilizing flex duct has grown in appeal due to the fact that ease of setup and the high expenditure of store made sheet metal ducts. Flex ducts even established appropriately are a bad alternative to properly created properly insulated sheet metal ducts. It prevails practice to make plenums and coil boxes out of the taped-together duct board.
Make sure to consist of an examination of your ductwork system in your techniques to update your HVAC system. There is no use in stressful valuable conditioned air to the outdoors through leaks and worn-out duct insulation. If your duct system requires an overhaul, you might want to consider a high-velocity delivery system that uses smaller sized PVC pipeline ducts. These high-velocity systems are to set up and insulate.
The bottom line on an HVAC system upgrade for maximum performance must consist of more than simply the brand-new devices. Do not forget about the ductwork and include it in your spending plan!