Easy access - for annual maintenance of your HVAC system
(this is really just filter cleaning).
Comfort – having a home with even heating, no hot or cold
spots.
Sound – You shouldn’t “hear” you heating system. A quiet
whir, maybe, a loud rush of air, no.
The first goal of easy access of your HVAC system is not
hard to achieve. Our California building codes mandate minimum sizes for HVAC access
doors, and working area at your FAU (forced air unit) in your home. I have seen
these installed per code and still be almost impossible to get to but this is
rare. A review of your plans prior to installation by any qualified HVAC
(Heating and Air Conditioning) Contractor with this question clearly asked will
get you the answer you need.
The second goal of comfort is lot tougher to achieve. This
requires planning and forethought. First you need to look at your home’s layout
and uses. A two story home has two very distinct heating and cooling needs. Bedrooms
often want to be cooler at night while common areas want to be warmer in the
evening. On a chilly morning you want your home’s kitchen to be warm. Stepping
out of a shower on a winter morning deserves a bit of warm air! The answer is
effective zoning and distribution of the air system. Properly sized HVAC units,
HVAC ducts and even return of the air to the HVAC unit benefits from proper planning.
This subject is quite broad and each home has particular needs. The amount of
glass, the size of rooms, the depth of your home’s eaves all play a part in
determining the homes conditioning loads. As builders, we have lots of options
including, multiple HVAC units, intelligent shunt damper systems, variable
speed blowers, small package HVAC systems and ever more intelligent thermostats
for your home.
If we have thoughtfully taken care of comfort, our third
goal of a quiet efficient system becomes more of an installation issue. All HVAC
equipment makes noise from sources including the fan, motor, burner, air
velocity through ducts and vibration transfer to surrounding structure.
Locating the equipment properly, and installing dampening fasteners between the
equipment and surrounding structure will greatly reduce vibration and humming
coming from the unit. The return air side of the HVAC unit requires special
attention. The HVAC unit’s return air plenum (a box connected to the unit to
receive air) should be lined with a sound absorbing material. Locate the return air grills away from the
unit; run in insulated duct with at least two bends or you will still hear the
unit running. Correctly sizing the supply duct work and correctly sizing the
registers where the air leaves the duct will greatly reduce the whoosh of
moving air.
A comfortable and quiet heating and air system just takes a
little knowledge and a bit care in both the design and installation. If done correctly it’s a part of your home
you may never think about again.
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Air Infiltration,
HVAC installation, HVAC repair, HVAC installers, Air Infiltration, Air
pressure, Thermal Comfort, Indoor Air Quality, HVAC Operation and Maintenance,
HVAC design, HVAC how to install, air ducts, air ducting, ventilation air
ducts, conditioned air, outlet vents, air diffusers, air through, return air,
air return, HARDI standards, ASHRAE standards, SMACNA standards, ACCA
standards, Uniform Mechanical Code HVAC standards, AMCA standards. Home repair
and maintenance. Home installation of
HVAC.
Wardell Builders | info@wardellbuilders.com | 858-793-4190 | Solana Beach, CA 92075
