Action Heating & Air Inc. | (859) 331-2641
Powered by: Renown Review Marketing
RSS

What is Air Balancing?

What is Air Balancing?

While many homeowners haven’t heard about “air balancing,” it’s a key feature for making sure that your house is comfortable and that your heating and cooling system is working properly. We’re going to take a closer look at air balancing, why it’s important, and what can go wrong if your system isn’t properly balanced.

Air Balancing

Air balancing refers to airflow throughout a building – how an HVAC system gathers and distributes hot or cold air through the house. Air doesn’t just move to the right spots all on its own, and there’s only so much that fans can do, so a lot of air balancing is about studying vents, ductwork, and the physics of how air moves to find the right solutions. This is very important for large and complex buildings, where airflow can be complicated and air balancing needs to be included in the construction.

However, air balancing is also important for homes and smaller buildings. This is especially true for those making renovations or additions to their homes, which can fundamentally change the way air flows in ways homeowners didn’t expect.

Poor Air Balancing Problems

So, what happens when there’s a problem with airflow and the air balance in a home is off? This usually creates different temperature zones throughout a house. One room may be particularly cold, another uncomfortably hot, and so on. Seasonal weather changes and the type of house can make these problems even worse. Often, this can cause difficulties with thermostat sensors, and lead to your HVAC system working too hard to deal with a problem it’s not able to handle, creating wear and tear, and the need for more repairs.

Proper air balancing, on the other hand, ensures that the temperature feels consistent throughout the house, and helps save money on heating and cooling bills.

So, what happens when there’s a problem with airflow and the air balance in a home is off? This usually creates different temperature zones throughout a house. One room may be particularly cold, another uncomfortably hot, and so on.

Causes of Air Balancing Problems

Not all air balancing problems are caused by construction and renovation. A serious balancing problem often indicates that something else is going wrong somewhere in the system. Common causes include:

  • Damaged air ducts with holes, cracks, and leaks
  • Ducts and vents that are improperly blocked
  • Poorly constructed ducts that are too narrow, too long, or poorly insulated
  • Ducts that have sharp corners or other problems that block proper airflow

Professionals can spot these problems by testing airflow and temperature at different points in the building and mapping out how ductwork is functioning. Solutions can vary, and may include installing new ductwork, adjust fan speeds, adding vent dampers, tweaking thermostats, and more. It’s important for professionals to take a close look at the system so they will know if serious repairs are required, or if a simple change in settings will help improve air balancing.

Does your house feel like the temperatures between rooms are uneven? Is there a spot that’s uncomfortable because it’s always hotter or colder than you would like? Contact Action Heating & Air Inc. today and we can set up an inspection to see if your HVAC system needs some improvements.