Understanding Duct Static Pressure
Why is Duct Static Pressure important? Simply put, we all want to keep our electricity bill as low as possible. Poor installation, duct air loss, and poor seasonal Air Conditioning maintenance can lead to inefficiencies in your Air Conditioner which translates to more work for your A/C System and higher electrical bills for you.
What is Duct Static Pressure? Think of blood pressure checks. When you visit a doctor for a checkup, the first thing they check is blood pressure. It’s the same with Static Duct Pressure. If the pressure is too high or too low, it is an indication of the failing health of your HVAC system and various treatments are in order. Your MD Air Conditioning and Heating technician is trained in tuning your system to make sure you get the optimal airflow delivered to every room of your home, year-in, and year-out.
An ideal duct system has an air register blowing air into every room. Most homes, however, have only one or two return registers for the entire house. Air from other rooms must find its way back to these registers to be cooled or heated, depending on the season. Closed rooms without a register are a common air circulation problem because air has no place to go in order to get reheated or re-cooled.
Blockage of supply or return air ducts and registers can increase or decrease pressure in a single room, which means poor performance and more air leakage through the building envelope. Airflow restrictions are hard on the return-air side of the system, so repairs should start with return ducts if necessary.
Finally, air from every supply register must have an unobstructed path back to a return register. An MD Air Conditioning and Heating technician can install louvered grilles in walls and doors, between-room ducts, and additional return ducts and registers to improve air circulation.
MD Air Conditioning Technicians may also increase airflow by cleaning the evaporator coil, increasing fan speed, or enlarging or adding ducts—especially return ducts. While it might seem drastic, sometimes enlarging ducts may be the only way to fix poor comfort or high energy costs.
Remember, every home is different. Call MD Air Conditioning and Heating today at (210) 569-0928 so you can start feeling the right pressure for your comfort and cost savings.