Poor design is often the downfall of the duct system providing your home or business with heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
Likely results: You don’t get all the heat or cool air you want – and you have to pay higher utility bills because the system is struggling with ducts that don’t do their job well.
When installing a new HVAC system, the contractor should pay special attention to the ducts that deliver the air.
Return vents
How many vents do you have? They are important because they return the air into your cooling and heating system. Without enough vents you will have spots that are too cold or too hot.
Duct size
Unless they’re the right size, your ducts can’t give you the desired temperature – and your system will be strained.
If your ducts are too small, they can’t deliver adequate heating and cooling for your home. Too big and they may provide more hot or cold air than you want.
Duct “elbows”
The best ductwork has a minimal number of turns and uses long straightaways as much as possible to move the air without interruption. All ductwork requires some bends to meet the building’s configuration, but the top contractors find ways to use “elbows” wisely and keep the airpath as straight as possible.
Look for this
The best contractors – and many government permit offices – follow “ACCA Manual D.” It’s the format used by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America. It spells out best practices for determining duct layout, sizes and other issues.
Premier HVAC installs and repairs residential and commercial ductwork in Long Island, Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn.
