Air balancing refers to the consistency of your home’s temperature across different rooms. When you have correct air balancing in your home, the entire house should heat up and cool down simultaneously. As a result, your HVAC system takes less time to work.
Signs that your home may have an air balancing issue include poor air conditioner performance, varied temperatures throughout the house, and stagnant air. In addition, warm and cold spots throughout your house can signify that your home needs an air balancing service. If you notice any of these signs in your home, it may be time to have your air balancing inspected by an experienced professional.
Poor air balancing can make your home uncomfortable even when your air conditioner is operating at maximum potential. Sometimes, you may even need repairs to optimize your air balancing. You can always rely on air conditioner repair in Hinesville by Georgia Air when your air conditioner malfunctions or breaks down.
If air balancing is a new concept to you, read on for some tips and tricks on how to balance your HVAC system.
Replace Your Air Filters
Whenever you’re facing an issue with your HVAC system, the first step is to check your filters. These filters purify all the air that passes through your system. Unfortunately, as these filters clean the air, they will eventually become clogged with dust and debris.
A clogged filter will increase the resistance of your system, making it more challenging for your system to keep air flow consistent. More resistance can also prevent the air from your HVAC system from traveling as far, leading to air balancing issues. So, if you notice decreased performance from your air conditioner, replacing your filters is a good starting point.
Check Your Seals
Your HVAC system creates air pressure in your home. By controlling the air flow throughout the house, the system can ensure the temperature in your home remains stable. When you successfully balance your HVAC system, the temperature should remain even regardless of the rooms in use.
However, the seals around the windows and doors in your home must be entirely secure to maintain this pressure. Any air leakage will make your system work harder, preventing you from reaching optimum balancing. These seals typically consist of rubber or caulking, both of which can crack and wear when exposed to water and sun over a long period.
The seals in your home also serve as an important defense mechanism against particles and micro-organisms in the air. The pressure in your home further acts as a barrier against outside air, ensuring that bacteria and other contaminants stay outside where they belong. With health and infection on everyone’s minds lately, providing the correct air balancing in your home can grant peace of mind.
Your Insulation Matters
While it’s your HVAC system’s job to bring your home to the desired temperature, insulation plays a crucial role in maintaining that temperature. Insulation is a specially designed material that acts as a barrier against outside temperatures. Due to its buffering action, insulation keeps your home’s temperature-controlled air within your walls rather than flowing back outside.
Insulation consists of embedded material in the walls and attics of your home. It may need periodic upgrades or replacement at times. However, a well-insulated home can enable you to run your HVAC system far less than before, significantly reducing your energy consumption.
Effective insulation can save you money on your energy bills, but the savings don’t end there. Placing less stress on the heating and cooling systems in your home will also reduce the wear on these appliances. As a result, effective insulation can reduce maintenance costs and increase efficiency, allowing homeowners to increase their savings.
Consider Upgrades
Homeowners and renters can solve some air balancing issues with an air balancing service or minor adjustments. However, these issues can sometimes be a sign of improper technology or installation.
For example, air pressure is a crucial component of air balancing. Ducts or vents that are too small or don’t fully open can weaken the performance of your system.
Another item to consider is the size and rating of your unit. If the HVAC system in your home is not powerful enough to effectively maintain the temperature in your home, the options on this list won’t solve the problem. Check the ratings for your unit to make sure this situation does not apply to you.
Upgrading your system can save you money over time. Although larger HVAC units are more expensive, they will be much cheaper to operate than a unit struggling to maintain the temperature of the space. You can also benefit from widened air ducts as the reduced air pressure will help your system achieve optimum efficiency.
An upgrading project will require an HVAC contractor if major renovations are needed. Georgia Air Cooling and Heating is an excellent option if you live in Richmond Hill or Wickliffe, GA. Our team is always motivated to help our clients, so you can count on us to give you transparent answers about your air balancing issues.
Offset Thermostats
We understand that there isn’t always room in the budget to pay for HVAC services when you need them immediately. However, while a trained professional must conduct proper air balancing, you can use temporary solutions to mitigate the problem in the meantime.
A thermostat offset can help homeowners experiencing temperature fluctuations in different rooms of their property. This strategy involves identifying which rooms in your home typically stay warmer or colder. Once you’ve verified those rooms, you can set each thermostat to balance them out.
A 2-degree offset is typically sufficient, but you may need to experiment to find the ideal settings for your home. Also, keep in mind that this strategy requires multiple thermostats. Therefore, this solution doesn’t apply to those who only have one thermostat in their home.
Adjust Registers
Each of your air vents typically contains a register that allows for air flow adjustment. While far from a perfect solution, adjusting these registers is an effective way to make minor adjustments to the balance of your HVAC system. They can also help you avoid expensive repairs.
This strategy requires investing some time as you’ll have to monitor how the temperature in each room responds to the changes. However, a general rule is to open registers on higher floors when outside temperatures are warm and open registers below when they’re cold.
If you notice that certain rooms seem to cool faster than others, you can close the register slightly in one room to improve balance. You can also close registers in rooms you use less often, allowing your system to focus more on high-traffic areas. However, we never recommend shutting off a vent entirely, as doing so can destabilize the system’s pressure.
Use Alternatives
The weather outside may be so intense that it requires an HVAC system. However, alternative options are normally sufficient for milder weather. For instance, when the weather is warm but bearable, try to utilize other cooling options such as ceiling or box fans or single-room AC units.
Ceiling fans can provide efficient cooling, particularly to smaller rooms. If your home doesn’t have any ceiling fans installed, portable or oscillating fans can work as a solid alternative. However, installing ceiling fans can often be more cost-effective than a new air conditioner, so consider these fans if you suspect your air conditioner is not powerful enough for your home.
These options can save you money by allowing you to cool the parts of your home you’re currently using rather than the entire house. You can also use these options alongside your air conditioner to boost air circulation throughout your home.
Have Your System Cleaned
Changing the filters in your system is simple enough to do yourself. Nonetheless, other portions of your HVAC system will eventually accumulate dust and require professional cleaning. An experienced HVAC contractor can clean out each vent and supply duct to free the system of dust and other debris.
A dust-cleaning service is especially vital if you have allergies or breathing issues in your household. When allergens become trapped in your air conditioning ducts, relief can seem impossible. If you’re having difficulty breathing in your home, we recommend exploring indoor air quality services from Georgia Air.
Take Action Today
If you’ve been dealing with air balancing issues in your home, it’s time to take action. By reading this article, you’ve learned some ways you can balance your HVAC system on your own. Give these strategies a try, but remember that only a professional can provide a full air balancing service.
If you’re ready to take control of the air balancing in your GA home, choose Georgia Air. With our years of experience installing and optimizing heating and cooling systems, the team at Georgia Air will ensure your HVAC system operates in top gear. Call us today at 912-513-3741 to speak to a helpful representative and schedule your HVAC service.