It’s incredibly frustrating when your heating and cooling system doesn’t seem to regulate the temperature in your home consistently. Your living room may be pleasantly cool in the summer whereas the upstairs bedrooms might feel as scorching as if you were standing outside in the sun. Similarly, there’s nothing worse than waking up on a cold winter’s day and feeling the need to rush to another room where you know it’s warmer.
While there can be many reasons why your home’s HVAC system might be heating and cooling your house unevenly, one possible reason is poor or uneven airflow. To determine whether airflow is the issue and then to correct the matter, you need professional air balancing. Here’s everything to know about air balancing and whether or not it’s necessary for your home.
What Is Air Balancing?
When you turn on your heating or cooling system, your home or business doesn’t magically become hotter or colder. Instead, airflow through the vents is what regulates the temperature in each space. Ideally, unless you’ve installed a system such as a mini-split for the purpose of customizing the temperature of each room, you want your home to have the same temperature throughout.
Air balancing refers to when HVAC technicians measure the temperature of each room and take steps to correct any inconsistencies. It can also refer to correcting issues such as loud vents or rooms that seem to never have adequate heating and cooling. Basically, air balancing refers to correcting any issues specifically associated with airflow, rather than with temperature.
There are many factors to explain why your home might not have the right airflow in each room. Sometimes it has to do with the fact that a unit is old or wasn’t correctly installed. Other times, it can be an issue not with your HVAC system itself but rather with the vents or ductwork. Whatever the case may be, professional air balancing can remedy the problem and allow you to enjoy a home with a consistent temperature throughout each room.
How Air Balancing Works
Air balancing begins with an HVAC technician identifying the specific cause of the inconsistent airflow. This is done by using technology such as airflow meters and pressure gauges, which can precisely determine the airflow in different rooms. While you might know that a room isn’t as cold or as hot as it’s supposed to be, your technician can’t correct the problem without an accurate read. The read can also determine if the issue isn’t actually with the airflow but rather with a different component of the system, such as the thermostat.
Often, airflow problems occur in the ductwork, either in the vents or in the dampers, which are the flaps that can be opened or closed to control the flow of air throughout your home. Sometimes it’s as simple as adjusting these dampers in order to better allow air to flow. However, sometimes leaks within the vents or insufficient insulation can be the problem.
If this is the case, it’s imperative that your technicians begin to fix the problem. Aside from the fact that you’re not comfortable in your home, ductwork issues can result in wasted energy expenses because you’re paying for heating and cooling that’s leaking rather than properly being distributed throughout your home. Beyond that, small leaks and cracks can become bigger ones if left untreated.
Why Air Balancing Is Essential
If you’ve been living in a home where some rooms are colder than others, you might just write it off as a quirk of your family home. However, there are some key reasons why you should really consider investing in professional air balancing. As you’ll see, ensuring proper airflow is about your family’s comfort, but it’s also about preserving your home’s heating and cooling system.
A More Comfortable Home
While people can get used to just about anything, there’s no reason why one member of the family should be stuck with the bedroom that’s notoriously an icebox in the winter and a sauna in the summer. Air balancing helps to improve your family’s comfort, ensuring that every member of the family always feels as cozy and relaxed as they ought to in the home.
Better Energy Efficiency
Over the past few decades, energy efficiency has become a major focus of modern HVAC technology. Aside from the fact that no one wants to spend more on their monthly bills by wasting energy, there’s been an overall push for more green technology and a concerted effort to waste less. Air balancing ensures that the heating and cooling in your home isn’t simply leaking but rather is being evenly distributed to each room and area.
Less Wear and Tear on Your HVAC System
Wasting energy is bad for your wallet and the environment, but it can also put a lot of wear and tear on your HVAC system. Because the air isn’t flowing properly, your system has to kick into overdrive to try to force each area of your home to get to the right temperature. When your HVAC system has to work in overdrive, it can lead to the need for more costly repairs since the system is more likely to malfunction.
Improved Air Quality
Proper heating and cooling airflow is a huge part of maintaining proper indoor air quality in your home. When your HVAC system is working optimally, it helps to prevent the buildup of dust and mold throughout your home. A room that doesn’t get enough cold air in the summer may be susceptible to mold buildup whereas a room that doesn’t receive sufficient heating in the winter can lead to the buildup of allergens and dry air. If those in your family who are prone to allergies feel that the air quality of your home is poor, bad HVAC airflow could be the culprit.
Is Air Balancing Necessary for My Home?
While the benefits of air balancing are clear, you might still be unsure about whether or not you need it in your home. Sometimes the inconsistencies between rooms can feel subtle, so you might feel as if the uneven heating and cooling in your home is an imagined problem. The only way to know for sure is by having an HVAC technician measure the airflow throughout your home using professional equipment. If it turns out that airflow is not the problem, your technician will be able to investigate other possible sources of the problem, such as a malfunctioning thermostat.
At Markool Heating & Cooling, we think that our Frederick, MD neighbors deserve to feel as comfortable as possible in their homes. This is why we encourage our valued clients to consider air balancing if they think that something might be off with the heating and cooling distribution of their home. We also offer a wide array of other HVAC services, in addition to helping to serve all of your plumbing needs. We invite you to call us today to learn more and book an appointment. We also offer air duct cleaning services!
