Air duct cleaning is an important aspect of HVAC maintenance that homeowners need to perform on a regular basis. To regulate the temperature of a room, heated or cooled air must first pass through air ducts. Unfortunately, Portland homeowners and renters often encounter numerous air duct issues, and many of them do not know how to deal with them. The following are the top 5 air duct issues and how to deal with them.
1. Air Leakage
If the connections in the ductwork are not properly aligned, become loose or they are not properly sealed, air can escape into unusable space. Therefore, ducts must be properly sealed at the grills and registers to reduce air leakages. Aside from causing massive energy losses, these leakages also pose another major problem; they can let in harmful gases into the HVAC system. Portland residents should watch out for uneven room temperatures, stuffy rooms and unusually high energy bills as these may be signs of leakages in the ductwork.
2. Dirty Air Ducts
Air filters in the HVAC system are responsible for getting rid of impurities from the air supply system. However, Portland residents should know that they are never perfect. If there are gaps in the ductwork, impurities may be sucked into the ductwork. Portland residents can expect to find dead insects, cobwebs, dust, carpet fibers and pollen among other types of impurities inside the air ducts. These impurities can compromise indoor air quality severely. This can cause a number of health problems. It is therefore not surprising that the EPA estimates indoor air quality to be much worse than the quality of air outside. Portland residents can remedy this problem through professional air duct cleaning on a regular basis.
3. Restricted Air Flow
When air does not flow efficiently through the duct system, delivery of conditioned air can be severely hampered. This will force the HVAC system to work harder. The result will be increased energy bills, frequent breakdowns and reduced lifespan of your HVAC system. Twisted, torn, kinked and crushed air ducts often restrict air flow. Portland residents should always ensure that the ductwork in their offices or homes are properly installed by professionals. During roofing work or electrical works, contractors should be cautioned to steer clear of the ductwork.
4. Inefficiency
A large portion of the energy lost when heating Portland homes is caused by poor insulation of air ducts. During Portland summers, cool air in the ducts can absorb heat energy from the surroundings as it moves to the intended destination. On the other hand, heated air being transported through the air ducts during winter can lose some energy to the colder surroundings if there is poor insulation. To increase efficiency, Portland residents should consider insulating their air ducts properly. Air duct cleaning can also help to increase efficiency.
5. Poor Design
All HVAC systems are not the same. Large spaces normally have high capacity HVAC systems and vice versa. Poor design of the system can lead to massive inefficiencies. A system that is too big will lead to significant energy losses. On the other hand, a system that is too small will be forced to work much harder to control room temperatures. That said, professional HVAC contractors should be hired to design and install HVAC systems as well as perform air duct cleaning.
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