Is Air Balancing Important?

Proper air balancing ensures that every room in your house receives the precise airflow volume for comfort, energy efficiency and indoor air quality.

A central HVAC system actually consists of two independent ductwork branches: the supply ducts deliver heated or cooled air to each room while return ducts remove air from the room and convey it back to the furnace or A/C. Air balancing means adjusting system airflow to maintain slightly positive air pressure in each room, the optimum condition for heating and cooling.

Why Air Balancing is Important

• In an unbalanced system, rooms closest to the furnace or air conditioner often receive ample heating and cooling airflow while those located further away may be uncomfortably chilly or too warm. Additional thermostat adjustments are often made to compensate, making the system run longer cycles in order to keep distant rooms comfortable. This, in turn, consumes extra energy, raises operating costs and imposes greater wear and tear on the furnace and A/C.
• When the amount of air removed from rooms by return ducts exceeds supply airflow, the house becomes depressurized. This pressure imbalance draws unconditioned outdoor air into the house through structural cracks and gaps, causing the heating and cooling system to run longer cycles to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. Energy consumption and operating costs rise. Indoor air quality is also affected as unfiltered outdoor air containing particulates, pollution and allergens infiltrates living spaces. In addition, vented gas appliances such as furnaces and water heaters are more likely to backdraft fumes when the house is depressurized.

Getting Back In Balance

To air balance the HVAC system, a qualified technician will use specialized instruments to measure flow of air into every room. Airflow volume can be altered by adjusting internal dampers inside the supply ductwork to achieve a slightly positive pressure balance in each room—the optimum state for effective and efficient heating and cooling. Duct issues, such as leakage,and obstructed or undersized segments, are also checked and corrected as required.

For more about the importance of air balancing and professional service to correct imbalances, contact C.R. Wolfe Heating & Air Conditioning.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Middletown, New York about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air balancing and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 845-367-4482. 

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