Upgrading Your HVAC System

The shock of escalating utility bills may have you considering upgrading your HVAC system. What should you learn about these more recent A/C systems?

It appears that fuel costs aren’t going to decreasing any longer. The more current heating and air conditioning system systems are a lot more efficient than older units and utilize substantial long-lasting energy expense savings. The Federal government has actually mandated that any cooling systems must have a SEER rating of a minimum of 13 beginning in 2006 and this is exceptional, due to the fact that a twenty-year system may have a SEER rating of only 7 or 8. Nonetheless, genuine savings, you must take a look at your whole house as an energy consuming monster that requires to be put on a diet plan. This includes repairing air leaking doors and windows seals.

It does bit great to change an older HVAC system and anticipate a wonderful reduction in utility bills if you do not take care of the areas where you are losing energy. New A/C systems are costly and the temptation may be to just install a brand-new high-efficiency furnace and air-conditioning system and hope for the very best. The truth is, the reduction in utility bills may be discouraging due to the fact that you may have overlooked a substantial player in the entire HVAC system like the ductwork.

An incorrectly developed, dripping and under-insulated ductwork system can lose 30 percent or more of the money you pay to run your cooling and heating unit and nullify any gain you might realize by setting up a brand-new high-efficiency system. Various duct systems are incorrectly insulated and leak conditioned air into un-conditioned attics and crawl spaces. Experts usually find detached ductwork throughout various home examinations.

When ducts leak, conditioned air can be forced out unsealed joints and lost. In addition, also un-conditioned air can likewise be drawn into return ducts through unsealed joints. Attic temperature level can be very high in the summertime 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 season and heated in the winter, this increases the load on your system and increases your energy expense.

Surprisingly an older house may have a much better-designed duct system than a brand-new home and may simply need a leakage check insulation upgrade. More current houses, on the other hand, might be a victim of cost-cutting steps and badly created duct systems.

Making use of flex duct has actually grown in appeal since ease of setup and the high expense of shop made sheet metal ducts. Flex ducts even established effectively are a poor option to properly created correctly insulated sheet metal ducts. It prevails practice to make plenums and coil boxes out of the taped-together duct board.

Make sure to include an examination of your ductwork system in your techniques to upgrade your HVAC system. There is no use in demanding important conditioned air to the outdoors through leaks and damaged duct insulation. If your duct system needs an overhaul, you might wish to consider a high-velocity shipment system that uses smaller sized PVC pipe ducts. These high-velocity systems are to establish and insulate.

The bottom line on an HVAC system upgrade for maximum effectiveness should include more than just the new equipment. Don’t forget about the ductwork and include it in your budget!