Showing posts with label ductwork. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ductwork. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Simple Ways to Reduce Heating Duct Noise
Put an End to that Rattle and Hum!You love your home’s central heating and air conditioning, but you hate all the noise it makes. Rattling, blowing, ticking, creaking, and a host of other noises coming from your ductwork can turn a fantastic convenience into a real nuisance in the time it takes to crank up the thermostat. Here are a few tips that can help turn down the volume on a noisy HVAC (Heating ,Ventilation and Air Conditionin) system.
Check Internal and External Components:
One of the biggest contributing factors to a noisy heating system is a faulty relationship between the unit’s indoor and outdoor components. If internal and external parts are linked in such a way that they vibrate against each other, this will send plenty of sound through your home’s ductwork. Because ducts connect every room in your house when you have a central HVAC system, you may find it hard to escape all the noise. If you hear whining, buzzing, howling, or vibrations, have a professional check your HVAC system to ensure indoor ducts are independently connected to outdoor components.
How's Your Insulation?
Insulating your ductwork can also really cut down on unwanted noise. Sounds that come through ducts are generally caused by your heating system’s air handler. This metal box has a motor that can make parts vibrate as the system works. Adding a layer of insulation to the air handler can dampen the noise caused by these vibrations, sending less reverberation through the ducts. Insulation can also eliminate noises on the outside of your house, making you instantly more popular with the neighbors.
Acoustic Insulation:
Another way to insulate is with materials that absorb sound. This helps deaden noises, making them quieter and less intense until they eventually disappear at the farthest point from your system. Acoustic insulation can be added along ductwork, in the same way you might insulate plumbing pipes.
How's Your Fan?
Cleaning your home’s HVAC system fan is crucial to the quiet, efficient operation of your unit. The fan draws in dirt and dust, which can collect on the blades and interfere with its operation. Built-up debris can cause rattling and vibrations that will travel through the ducts and vents. If your fan is the wrong size for your system, it can also create noise as it struggles to keep up with demand. Keeping the fan clean and ensuring you have the right size fan for your unit will cut down on noise significantly.
Cleaning and Maintenance:
Regular duct and heat system cleaning and upkeep ensures your entire heating system is performing at its best. Professional maintenance keeps parts in good working condition and helps make sure that system components are installed correctly. A certified technician will tighten loose connections, fix gaps, clean parts, and add insulation to any system mechanisms that could be causing unusual noise. You should try to have a professional tune up and your HVAC system at least twice a year. The easiest way to remember is to schedule maintenance in the spring and in the fall, just before the peak cooling and heating seasons.
Related Information from Horizon Services...
Thursday, December 16, 2010
How to Prevent a Noisy Wall Furnace
Most of us heat our homes with some type of furnace -- oil, gas, electric, propane. While these are great for providing adequate heat in cold months, they can be very noisy.The most common source of furnace noise is the furnace fan as it circulates heated air throughout the home’s ductwork or out through a vent. The furnace fan usually makes any number of whooshing or whirring sounds, all of which are normal. Your furnace also has other moving parts and components which can emit light clanging or tapping sounds...especially as components and ductwork expand or contract as they heat or cool. These noises are also a normal consequence of operating your furnace.
Of all the kinds of furnaces in use today, a wall furnace is usually the loudest. As the name suggests, a wall furnaces is a heating device that mounts onto a wall. Usualy, no ductwork is required with a wall furnace, as the units blow heat directly into the room or transmit it through convection. Exhaust is vented off the top or out the back to the outdoors. Wall furnaces are usually used for small homes or partial areas of a home and utilize gas or electricity to provide heat.
The following are some tips that can help reduce the noise level of your home’s wall furnace (and other furnaces, too).
Have a Dedicated Furnace Room:
It makes perfect common sense: Put your wall furnace in its own room (rather than in close proximity to a common living space), and you can significantly reduce the noise level. If possible, install your wall furnace in a dedicated furnace room to prevent noise from taking over your home. Apply soundproofing foam or insulation to the furnace room ceilings and walls, and use a door with a solid core to keep noise in the room.
Use Quality Sound Absorbing Materials:
Walls, floors, and ceilings can all be sound proofed by using high quality materials. Soundproofing tiles and carpeting can significantly cut down on noise from the furnace, and can be customized depending on the size and amount of material you need. Avoid installing wood or concrete floors near furnaces, as these conduct noise and make sounds louder.
Check for Duct Leaks:
The same ducts that carry hot air throughout your house also carry the noise from your furnace. Air moving through ducts causes vibration that can actually amplify noise. Any breaks, tears, or leaks in your ductwork allow noise to escape, carrying the sound through the house. Carefully inspect ductwork for leaks, especially at the joints. If you find any tears, use a high quality duct sealing tape to close off the holes. This will dramatically cut down on sound travel and whistling air.
Use Flexible Ducts:
Installing flexible ducts at the point where the duct meets the furnace is an easy way to cut down on noise. This helps reduce vibrations from the furnace blower, which reduces the sound made when the air enters the ducts. A solid duct doesn’t move along with the vibrations; a flexible duct has more give and can move along with the air.
Pad Your Ducts:
When ducts sit too loosely on the straps and clamps that hold them in place, they vibrate and create noise. Insulating or padding ducts at the straps can reduce vibrations and eliminate much of the noise coming from your furnace. This material can be simply wrapped around the outside of the ducts and held in place with a durable duct tape. Most do-it-yourselfers can handle this process without much experience; you’ll just need access to the ducts in your home and a high quality padding material. If you are unsure about the proper insulation, consult the staff at your local hardware or home improvement store.
When to Call a Heating Professional About Your Furnace Noise...
While today's furnaces are much quieter than the furnaces of the past, some furnace noise is inevitable with any kind of heating system. However, unusual or excessive furnace noise is usually a sign of a major furnace problem...one that could lead to a furnace breakdown or even a fire. Here are some furnace noise situations that should alert you that something serous may be going on with your furnace:
- Sudden occurence of furnace noise after a long period of relatively quiet operation
- Noise that sounds like loose parts or fastenters jangling around
- Noise that is accompanied with smoke, ash, sparks, odor or burn marks
- Noise that occurs in a rhythmic pattern
- Any harsh noises (grinding, scraping, slapping)
- A noticeable decrease in furnace performance
- A noticeable increase in the furnace's surface temperature
If you observe any of these noise problems with your furnace, call the heating specialists at Horizon Services. They will quickly diagnose the source of your furnace noise and provide a reliable, affordable solution.
More Furnace and Heating Information from Horizon Services...
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Gauging the Health of Your Home Heating and Cooling Ducts
If your home has a central heating and air conditioning system, maintaining the ductwork is essential to keeping your home comfortable and healthy. Neglected ducts can harbor high levels of air pollutants, circulating them inside your home and contributing to conditions like asthma, allergies, sinus irritation, and other respiratory problems. Inefficient ducts can also impact your energy usage and may cause a significant increase in your monthly utility bills.Many homeowners think that simply cleaning their ducts will take care of any air quality problems inside their homes. This just isn’t the case. While keeping ducts clean is important, far more significant is what’s going into the ductwork. Harmful fumes from paint and cleaning supplies, tobacco smoke, and even cooking are some of the main causes of poor indoor air quality. If you are having trouble with the quality of air circulating through your home, take a closer look at any of your daily activities that could be contributing to the problem.
Still, cleaning ductwork is important. Mold and odors caused by deceased vermin behind the walls of your home can seep into ducts and interfere with air quality. When cleaning ductwork be sure to replace the air filter, remove any foreign objects, and repair any noticeable cracks, tears, or weak spots. A professional HVAC technician can thoroughly clean your system and make necessary repairs or recommendations to improve the quality of air inside your home.
An impeccable duct system is nothing without a good support team: well insulated windows, doors, attics, crawl spaces, and basements. Without the proper joints and sealants, all the warm or cool air pumped out through your home’s ductwork will be lost to the outdoors. This not only affects the efficiency of your heating and cooling system, but it also raises your monthly utility costs. Be sure that all windows and doors are properly fitted and sealed, and that your home is adequately insulated.
Perhaps the most under-appreciated part of any heating and cooling system is the air return ducts. Proper return ducts ensure consistent, comfortable heating and air conditioning which improves ventilation, air quality, and the overall temperature inside your home. If the air return ducts aren’t functioning properly it can even force your furnace or air conditioning unit to work harder; this can increase wear and tear on your equipment and may shorten the overall life of your system.
Because air return ducts are a complex part of your home’s heating and cooling system, it’s best to leave them to the professionals. If you notice that the rooms in your house with outside walls are often a different temperature than the rest of the home, or that your energy bills are going up even though you haven’t changed your usage habits, it’s a sign that you may be having trouble with your return ducts. It would be wise to call in a professional technician to check things out.
Related Information from Horizon Services...
Monday, August 30, 2010
Make Sure You Have Proper Air Circulation Throughout Your Home
Going in Circles is Great for Heating & Cooling Comfort and Energy Efficiency!Uneven air circulation and distribution of both heated and cooled air is a common problem in many households. Industry experts say that improper air flow can actually reduce the efficiency of your heating and air conditioning equipment by as much as 60%! They also say that improper air flow is one of the most common causes of heating and air conditioning system breakdowns. That's because when air is not flowing smoothly through your home, it puts extra demand on your heating and cooling equipment to force warm or cool air throughout the home.
Proper air circulation is extremely important if you want to get the most out of your heating and air conditioning system. Think of each room in your home as a section of a wheel. When you don’t get air good circulation in one room, it’s like having a flat spot on a wheel; the wheel is not going to roll smoothly. With central air conditioning and heating, one room with bad circulation can keep air from circulating smoothly throughout the rest of your house.
If your heating and air conditioning system lacks even air circulation between rooms and floors of the home, temperature and humidity can differ greatly from room to room. If one or more parts of your home are too warm or too cool, the overall comfort level of your home will feel out of balance. It may also force you to run your heater or air conditioner more in certain rooms; this can put unnecessary demand on your heating and air conditioning system, which can lead to premature breakdowns and higher energy bills.
The key to consistent year-round comfort is consistent air circulation. So how do you get proper air circulation throughout your home? It starts with installing a heating and air conditioning system that designed for your home's heating and air conditioning requirements. Is your heating and air conditioning equipment sized properly so that it doesn't produce too much or too little heated or cooled air? Does it have the proper efficiency rating? A system analysis of your home including a load calculation (a mathematical estimate of the amount of air that needs to be generated to efficiently heat and cool each room) can provide great insight as to whether your system is putting out too much or too little air.
Good ductwork design is another key component to getting good air circulation and consistent heating and cooling comfort. Because the ducts in your home carry the air to each rooms, it is important that they are the correct size and length to deliver the proper amount of heating and cooling. It's also important where in your home they are located and whether or not they have any leaks or damage.
If you're thinking of installing a new heating and air conditioning system, make sure your HVAC contractor not only explains how your equipment is sized and that it is of the right efficiency for your home, but that he submits and reviews with you a copy of the ductwork design. This will help assure you that you’ll be getting the proper air circulation and won't be disappointed with the way your new heating and air conditioning system performs.
At Horizon Services, our comfort consultants and HVAC technicians are always happy to discuss with you how to get the right air circulation and most consistent heating and cooling throughout your home. Give us a call!
Related Information from Horizon Services...
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Air Ducts 101
What You Can't See May Be Costing Hundreds of Dollars in Wasted Heating and Air Conditioning Bills!Your heating and cooling systems use more energy than any other system in your home. Typically, 46% of your entire utility bill goes for heating and air conditioning alone. For many homeowners, a large chunk of that heating and cooling bill may be completely wasted...and the culprit is hidden out of sight beneath your feet and over your head.
Your home’s air duct system is a complex network of tubes made of sheet metal, fiberglass or other materials that runs throughout your walls, floors, and ceilings, carrying heated or cooled air from your home’s furnace and central air conditioner to each room. But if these air ducts have leaks or are poorly insulated, as much as 60% of your heated or cooled air can be lost before it even reaches the registers in these rooms. That can result in a lot of wasted energy...and money. As well, ducts that are damaged or don’t work properly can create serious, life-threatening carbon monoxide (CO) problems in the home.
Sealing and insulating air ducts that are in unconditioned spaces -- such as an attic, crawl space or basement -- is extremely important and can be a great way to get a handle on out-of-control heating and cooling costs. Insulation if fairly easy to install on existing duct work. If you are buying a new duct system, consider one that comes with insulation already installed. Sealing your air ducts to prevent leaks is even more important if you want to save energy and money. If the supply ducts are leaking, large amounts of heated or cooled air can be forced out of holes or unsealed joints and lost. In addition, unconditioned air can be drawn into return ducts through unsealed joints. In the summer, hot attic air can be drawn in, increasing the load on the air conditioner. In the winter, your furnace will have to work longer to keep your house comfortable. Either way, your energy losses can cost you big bucks.
In most cases, air ducts in unconditioned spaces should be sealed and insulated by a qualified HVAC and duct work professional using appropriate sealing and insulation materials -- especially if the air ducts are concealed. If you're a handy do-it-yourselfer, here are a few simple tips to help with minor or temporary repairs to visible duct work.
- Check your ducts for obvious air leaks. Look for sections of duct work that should be joined but have separated, as well as for holes or punctures.
- If you use tape to seal your ducts, avoid the common cloth-backed, rubber adhesive duct tape that you can get at any old store. This garden variety duct tape tends to fail quickly. Instead, most HVAC and duct contractors recommend professional quality mastic, butyl, foil or other heat-resistant tapes. Look for tape with the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) logo.
- Be award that insulating ducts in the basement will make the basement colder. If the heat ducts are fully insulated, water pipes and drains in the basement could freeze and burst if the basement temperature gets too cold. Use electric heating tape wrap on your pipes to prevent this. Also consider insulating your basement walls to hold more heat in or installing heating in your basement.
- If your basement has been converted to a living area, hire a professional to install both supply and return registers in the basement rooms.
- Make sure that a well-sealed vapor barrier exists on the outside of the insulation on cooling ducts to prevent moisture from building up.
Related Heating and Air Conditioning Information from Horizon Services...
Monday, May 17, 2010
Step Up to Whole House Performance
Whole House Home Performance is gaining popularity in the home improvement industry, as more and more homeowners search for ways to upgrade their home's’s energy efficiency. It is a systematic approach to home improvement in which a certified professional uses state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and testing to identify the cause of some of the most common household problems that impact energy-efficiency, indoor air quality, and comfort. Following these recommendations can make your home healthier and more comfortable, as well as significantly reduce your monthly utility bills and even increase your home's value.
The following are some of the most frequently identified areas where Whole House Home Performance improvements can make a difference.
Sealing Leaks and Ductwork:
Repairing leaky ducts and sealing drafts can reduce your heating and cooling expense by 30 percent or more. If ducts, windows, and doorways are not sealed properly, all the energy used to heat or cool the air inside your home is wasted.
Sealing ducts with mastic, durable duct tape, or an aerosol sealant, insulating duct work in attics and crawl spaces, and weather-stripping windows and doors will help improve air flow throughout your house.
Adding Insulation:
Inadequate insulation in ceilings, basements, attics, and exterior walls can allow warm air to escape your home in winter and cold air to escape in summer. This forces your home’s heating and cooling systems to work harder than they have to, which increases energy usage and utility costs. In cold regions, insufficient insulation can also lead to ice dams, which clog gutters and cause roof leaks and pipe bursts.
Improving the level of insulation in these areas ensures that both warm and cool temperatures are stabilized throughout your house, making for a more comfortable dwelling that’s more affordable to heat and cool.
Upgrading HVAC Equipment:
Older air conditioners can use 30 to 50 percent more energy than newer models. Replacing an old device with a new machine that has a high energy-efficiency rating can cut your summer cooling costs in half. The same can be said of heating systems.
Before you decide to replace your central air or heat system, be sure to have a professional check the ductwork. If ducts are in disrepair, buying a new system won’t help you save any money; all that energy-efficiency will simply leak out through the cracks and tears.
As well, regular service and annual furnace tune-ups and air conditioning tune-ups are a great way to guarantee that your heating and cooling system stays in fine working order, lasts a long time and continues to perform at peak efficiency levels.
Upgrading Lighting and Appliances:
Lighting and appliances account for about half of the average home’s total energy costs. Perhaps the simplest change you can make is to replace the bulbs in your home with energy-efficient compact fluorescent lighting and to swap older appliances for Energy Star rated models. Dishwashers, refrigerators, washers and dryers, and other major appliances that are more than 10 years old are significantly less efficient than newer models. Furthermore, replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents can drastically reduce your monthly utility bill. And you’ll save even more money because compact fluorescents last 10 times longer than traditional bulbs—you won’t have to change a light bulb for four or five years.
Related Information...
- Home Performance with Energy Star
- USGBC Expert Advocates Whole-House Approach to Home Performance Audits
- The Maryland Home Performance Program
- Pennsylvania's Special Financing Program for Energy Efficiency Home Improvements
- Home Performance with ENERGY STAR in Pennsylvania
- Delmarva Power Offers Customers New Home Energy Savings Program Options
- Horizon Services System Analysis
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