Balancing Your AC’s Airflow to Improve System Performance
One of the most uncomfortable feelings is walking into a warm home after being outside on a hot summer’s day. To combat the heat, some homeowners tend to turn down the temperature continuously. But, just because your AC is cooling how you want it to doesn’t mean it needs to be repaired or replaced. If your central air conditioner isn’t providing adequate cooling throughout your entire home, consider having AC air balancing done on your system.
This process involves adjusting the airflow throughout various rooms of your house to ensure consistent, even, and efficient cooling. It is possible to make these adjustments by yourself, but for more effective and efficient cooling, it’s best to enlist the help of a trained professional.
What Is Air Balancing?
Balancing your AC system means measuring and adjusting the volume of airflow into each room through a system of ducts in your home. Creating this AC balance is critical to maintaining comfort. As hard as this may be to believe, it’s not uncommon to find systems 30 to 50 percent low on airflow.
A number of tests using specialized tools are used in balancing your system:
- Air Balancing Hoods: These measure the amount of air at each grille to ensure a consistent and balanced airflow throughout the entire system.
- Hygrometers: These measure both system temperature and humidity, providing essential data for maintaining optimal comfort and efficiency.
- Manometers: These measure system pressures, playing a crucial role in maintaining a balanced and effective air conditioning system.
Static pressure is one of the key vital signs of your comfort system. Static pressure is the force that makes it harder or easier for air to move throughout your system. Measuring static pressure helps identify any significant blockages or leaks. It’s important to note that openings and cracks in your home’s infrastructure, such as pet doors and poorly sealed windows and doors, all contribute to temperature loss or gain.
By measuring the HVAC’s air balance and airflow, you are able to see how your system performs and locate any hindering factors. From there, you can determine whether you can complete the air balancing procedure by yourself or if you need help from an experienced technician.
4 DIY Air Balance Tips
If your air conditioner is free of extraneous problems, balancing your air conditioner’s airflow won’t be as difficult as you may think. There are numerous methods and adjustments that you can make that can quickly lead to improved airflow throughout your home.
1. Adjust the Dampers
One of the reasons your home might have uneven airflow is because the dampers are not opened properly. Modifying them to your liking is an inexpensive HVAC air balancing procedure that can totally change the way your home feels. Follow these steps:
- Set the temperature in your home to 76 to 78 degrees. This temperature allows you to feel a dramatic difference as you walk throughout the house when testing the levels in the next few steps. Don’t mess with the thermostat for the next 24 hours so that it can properly adjust to the changes.
- After 24 hours, walk through your home. When you feel rooms that are colder than one in the 76-degree range, open up the dampers a bit more to allow more air in the space. If the room is too hot, close the dampers to your liking to restrict airflow.
- Wait another 24 hours or so and repeat the process until you have the appropriate levels in each room. Once you have made the airflow to your specifications, you can turn the AC temperature back down and relax.
2. Turn the Thermostat’s Fan On
When you use the thermostat’s “ON” setting, your air conditioner’s fan runs continuously, keeping the air in your home consistently filtered and refreshed. This helps maintain a steady and comfortable temperature while also improving indoor air quality by continually capturing contaminants.
3. Clean or Replace Your Air Filters
You need to change your air filter on a regular basis to ensure that your AC is blowing clean air in your home. If your air filters are dirty, they can block air from entering your home, resulting in compromised airflow and poor air quality.
4. Check Your Air Ducts
Your ductwork must be manually checked for any holes or crushed areas. The more accessible your ducts are, the easier it is to perform balancing. Leaking in your ducts leads to a loss of air supply, which will directly affect the temperature in your home.
If your air conditioner is exhibiting other problems that can’t be fixed with these methods, then turn to professionals who can quickly diagnose and repair the problems. At Gilmore, we can help make your home a more comfortable place to live. Contact us today to set up an appointment with our air balancing company in the Sacramento Valley and Roseville, California, area.
