Category: air conditioning

When your home has a forced-air cooling and heating system, it uses ductwork to force air throughout the house into the different rooms. A return air vent draws air out of the house and moves it through the air conditioning or heating system. However, you will need to consider air duct replacement or sealing eventually.

Why Is a Duct System Important?

According to Energy Star, most homes lose about 20 to 30 percent of the cooled or heated air in the duct system due to holes, leaks, or poorly connected ductwork. Unfortunately, most homeowners overlook their air ducts when maintaining their HVAC systems.

The duct system ensures that cooled and heated air is distributed evenly throughout the house. When there are leaks in the system, it causes a reduction in system air pressure.

As a result, the amount of air reaching each room in your home is diminished. In addition, your air conditioning or heating system has to work twice as hard to cool and heat your house.

So, how do you know if you need to repair or replace HVAC ductwork? By familiarizing yourself with the following signs.

Common Signs of Bad Ductwork

There are unexplained increases in your energy bills.

Suppose you notice your cooling or heating bills have been steadily increasing, and there have not been any major increases from your utility company. In that case, it is a good indication that your ductwork has air leaks.

Instead of keeping cooled or heated air inside the ductwork, it escapes. As the air escapes, it draws in uncooled or unheated air and pushes that air into the house. Therefore, your HVAC system has to run longer to reach your desired temperature setting.

You notice your house gets dusty really quickly.

While getting rid of dust completely is impossible, your home should not get dusty that fast. Yet, if you notice that dust is accumulating faster than usual, it could be a sign of bad ductwork. For example, you dust on Saturday and by midweek there is a thick layer of dust where you just dusted.

The excessive dust gets into your house through the air leaks in the ductwork. As we already mentioned, cooled and heated air is lost through the leaks, while uncooled or unheated air is drawn in. As this air is drawn in, it also draws in dust, which is blown throughout the home.

Your HVAC system seems louder than normal.

Your air conditioning and heating system will make some noise when it cycles. However, the noise should not be excessive. If it is, it can indicate a wide range of problems, including air duct problems.

For instance, if you hear a whistling noise when the system runs, this is common when the air leaks are sucking in air through tiny gaps. Another common sound you may hear is a rattling sound coming from the walls, ceiling, or floor, depending on how the ductwork was installed.

You notice an increase in pests inside the house.

Seeing a bug inside the home periodically is bound to happen. However, if you start seeing ants, roaches, or other bugs more often, this indicates they have gained access through an opening, often the ductwork. Increased rodent activity is another common sign of damaged air ducts.

Your seasonal allergies seem to be worse indoors.

If you notice you are sneezing or coughing more often indoors, this is directly related to the air quality inside your home. When you have problems with your air ducts, the air leaks can allow more allergens to enter the house through the cooling and heating system.

You have to change your air filter more often.

Another sign of bad ductwork to look for is how often you change your air filter. For example, if you have a 90-day air filter but have to change it every 45 to 60 days or sooner, this often indicates faulty ductwork that needs to be repaired or replaced.

You notice there are cold or hot spots in different parts of the house.

It is essential to remember air duct leaks can occur anywhere in the duct system. So, if you notice certain rooms in your home feel hotter in summer and colder in winter, it is a good idea to have your duct system inspected.

Should I Repair or Replace HVAC Ductwork?

Deciding whether repairing or replacing ductwork is best depends on whether you have a few areas that need to be repaired or if the entire duct system has numerous issues. Unless you replace the whole duct system, there are specific steps you will want to take to ensure the system is repaired correctly.

1. Determine the location of air leaks. You will want to have your HVAC technician conduct an airflow and air quality analysis to help pinpoint the location of air leaks. If they are widespread, replacement might be necessary.
2. Replace any necessary sections of the ductwork. If there are huge gaps between ductwork joints or extensively damaged sections, have these replaced and fixed.
3. Have your ductwork cleaned. The next step in repairing ductwork is cleaning the entire system to remove excess dust, dirt, and debris.
4. Have your ductwork sealed. After the duct system has been cleaned, you want to have it sealed. There are different sealing methods, and one of the more popular ones is to use a spray sealant and circulate that through the system until all air leaks have been sealed.
5. Insulate and protect exposed ductwork. If you have exposed ductwork sections, like in your basement or crawl space, you should have these insulated and protected to help reduce the risks of air leaks.

If you replace the entire duct system after installing it, you will want to check for leaks and have it sealed as an added precaution.

How Often Should Ductwork Be Cleaned and Sealed?

It depends on the type of ductwork used in your house. For example, if you have plastic ductwork, you may need to have it sealed more often than metal ductwork. Your best option is to watch for the signs of bad ductwork and have your ducts inspected annually by your HVAC technician.

In addition, you should have your air ducts cleaned and sealed whenever you have a new air conditioning or heating system installed. This way, you do not have to worry about excessive dust entering the new system.

Schedule an Air Duct Inspection Today

When you notice any of these signs of bad ductwork, you will want to get your air ducts inspected today by one of our HVAC technicians at Christianson Air Conditioning & Plumbing. After your inspection, our technicians will tell you what is wrong and provide you with different air duct replacement, repair, cleaning, and sealing options to resolve air leaks.

Please feel free to call us at 512-246-5400 to schedule an air duct inspection today.

Have you noticed poor airflow through the vents in your home? Maybe there is low airflow from certain vents but not others? There can be several causes for poor airflow in HVAC systems. Therefore, it is essential to understand the potential causes for reduced airflow to pinpoint the problem and determine when you need to get assistance from a qualified HVAC technician.

#1. Dirty Air Filters

Dirty air filters will restrict airflow as it returns back through the HVAC system. Since the airflow is reduced, so is the amount of air being blown out of the vents. So, check your air filter and, if it is dirty, replace it with a new air filter to see if that resolves the airflow problems.

#2. Wrong Type of Air Filter

Air filters have different MERV ratings that need to be matched to your HVAC system. If the MERV rating is too high, it will restrict airflow and not allow it to move properly through the system.

Filters with higher MERV ratings have smaller air pores, so your system cannot function correctly. Verify your HVAC system can handle the MERV rating on the air filters you are using. If not, switch to a lower-rated filter compatible with your system.

#3. Undersized HVAC System

A common cause of poor airflow is an undersized HVAC system that is too small for your home. The unit cannot produce the output needed in a forced-air system to the entire house. As a result, you may notice uneven airflow from the HVAC system, with airflow being the strongest in the rooms closest to where the ductwork first enters the home and there being almost no airflow in the rooms farthest from the HVAC system.

To remedy this problem, you need to have your HVAC technician conduct an airflow analysis and determine the proper size HVAC system for your house.

#4. Closed Air Vents

When the air vents are closed, you will not notice any airflow coming out of the vent. So, if you put your hand up by the vent and notice no airflow, the first thing to do is to check to make sure the vent is open. If it is open and there is no airflow, you should check your air filter before calling your HVAC technician.

#5. Dirty Ductwork

Dust, dirt, pet hair, pet dander, and other debris can get into the ductwork. Over time, the accumulation of debris builds up and can start to affect airflow in your home. Another indication to look for to determine if you have dirty ductwork is when your home gets dusty very quickly. If so, you will want to schedule duct cleaning service with your HVAC technician.

#6. Clogged Ductwork

Clogs can occur in ductwork when small critters get into your house. For example, a mouse, rat, opossum, bat, or squirrel could find its way into the ductwork and move in. Unfortunately, when they build nests or simply restrict airflow around them because of their size, you will notice poor airflow through the vents.

To resolve clogged ductwork, you will need to have someone help remove the unwanted critters from your home safely and humanely. Next, they will need to find the entry point where they got into the ductwork. Last, you should have your HVAC technician clean the ductwork and make any necessary repairs.

#7. Air Leaks in the Ductwork

If the ductwork is not sealed correctly, there can be air leaks that allow air to escape rather than being blown into the rooms in your house. Air leaks also allow dust and other debris to be sucked into the system.

So, if you notice you have low airflow from the vents and your house gets dusty much faster when the HVAC system is in operation, you most likely have an air leak. Your HVAC technician can check the airflow pressure to determine if there are air leaks. If there is, they can repair, clean, and reseal the ductwork to eliminate any air leaks.

#8. Misshapen Ductwork

Some homes can have what is known as flex ductwork. This type of ductwork is made from plastic materials and wire rings with a layer of insulation. Another type of flex ductwork is made of metal, much like those flexible pipes used to connect the dryer to the exhaust vent.

As you can imagine, both types of flex ductwork are more prone to damage. They can get bent, kinked, and even broken or torn in places and create low and uneven airflow in HVAC systems. To restore airflow, you would need to replace the part of the damaged flex ductwork.

#9. Ductwork Too Big

Older homes tend to have ductwork with larger diameters that modern HVAC systems do not need to function properly. So, if the ductwork is too big, you will notice a reduction in airflow throughout the house. Of course, the solution for this problem is to decrease the diameter of the ductwork to match what is recommended for your HVAC system.

#10. Insufficient Return Air Vents

Forced air HVAC systems require the air to flow through a closed-loop system. First, the air is blown out of the vents into the rooms in your house. Next, it is drawn out of the house through one or more return air vents to be cycled back through the system.

When your home has insufficient return air vents, airflow is restricted. So, the HVAC system cannot move the proper amount of air through the system.

For example, if you have a two-story house, you should have at least one return air vent on the main floor and one on the second floor. If you only had a single return air vent, the amount of air returned through the system could be insufficient.

As such, the amount of air being forced into the house is not the same as the amount of air being returned. The easiest solution to this problem is to have your HVAC technician install the necessary number of return air vents to ensure proper airflow.

#11. Vent Are Too Small

If the air vents in the rooms in your home are too small, they will restrict the amount of air entering the room when the HVAC system is in operation. Essentially, they create a “bottleneck” since they cannot allow the proper amount of air through the vent.

To resolve this type of HVAC low airflow problem, have your HVAC technician install larger air vents that are the

same diameter as the ductwork.

What if My Airflow Is Too High?

Another type of problem that can occur is too much airflow. While this might seem like a good thing, it can strain the HVAC system and cause it to wear out much faster. Two of the most common causes of poor airflow that is too high include:

• The HVAC system is oversized for your home. An oversized system outputs higher airflow. However, it never gets to peak operation, causing short cycling and energy inefficiency.
• The ductwork in your home is undersized. When the ductwork’s diameter is too small, it will cause the airflow speed to increase. Yet, when the air moves back through the return air vent, the excess “force” the air creates can damage the HVAC system.

Resolving Poor Airflow in HVAC Systems

As you can see, there are several potential causes for poor airflow through vents in your home. While some of the problems might be easier to resolve, like changing your air filter or switching to a lower-rated MERV air filter, others require assistance from a qualified HVAC technician.

To find out why your home has low airflow problems, please feel free to contact Christianson Air Conditioning & Plumbing at 512-246-5400 to schedule an airflow analysis appointment in New Braunfels, Temple, San Antonio, or the Austin Metro Area today!

On average in central Texas, an air conditioning system will last from 10 to 12 years. The service life can be shortened or extended, depending on how regularly preventive maintenance is performed. Maintenance will also help the system run more efficiently so that your home or office stays more comfortable and it costs you less money.

Regular maintenance ensures your system is more energy-efficient and requires fewer repairs, both of which save you money.

There is some maintenance you can do yourself, while other maintenance requires the service of an HVAC system expert. Professional maintenance should be performed on an HVAC system twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall.

The following is a list of the tune-up, inspection, and services offered at Christianson Air Conditioning & Plumbing:

• Thermostat calibration & setting – Ensure comfort when at home and save energy when you’re away.
• Check & tighten all electrical connections – System will operate more safely and it will increase the life of components.
• Lubricate all moving parts – Reduce energy by minimizing friction and overheating.
• Check & inspect condensate drain – Plugged drains can affect indoor humidity levels and, more seriously, cause water damage.
• Check all system controls – Ensure the system starts, operates, and shuts off properly.
• Clean condenser coils – Dirty coils increase energy costs and reduce the life of equipment.
• Check refrigerant levels & adjust if necessary – Too much or too little refrigerant increases energy costs.
• Clean & adjust blower components – Airflow problems can reduce efficiency up to 15%.
• (If applicable) Check all gas connections, gas pressure, burner combustion, and heat exchanger – Improperly sealed gas connections are a fire hazard. Dirty burners or failed heat exchangers can allow carbon monoxide to escape, which can be extremely unsafe or possibly fatal.

Do-It-Yourself Air Conditioning Maintenance

Changing air conditioning air filters is probably the part of air conditioning maintenance that most people are most familiar with. Still, many fail to keep records or follow up with routine filter changes. Not only is this one of the most important parts of do-it-yourself air conditioning maintenance, but it is also one of the simplest.

When dirt builds up on air filters, air flow is obstructed, preventing the system from working efficiently. Additionally, it lowers indoor air quality. So, if you have allergies or asthma, you can notice an increase in respiratory problems when you have a dirty air filter.

Either cleaning a reusable filter or replacing it with a new one can improve energy efficiency by as much as 15%. To aid in system efficiency and help extend the life of your system, Christianson recommends cleaning or replacing filters once a month.

The air conditioner coils absorb heat, making them an important part of the cooling system. They are also prone to collecting dirt, even when the filter is kept clean. When dirt covers the coils, they are unable to absorb heat efficiently. Indoor units should be examined visually each year, prior to air conditioning cooling season, and cleaned if necessary.

On the outdoor condensing units, the coils are even more vulnerable due to exposure to foliage, dust, and grass clippings. It is important to keep grass, weeds, bushes, and plants cleared and trimmed away from the condensing unit. It is also a good idea to treat around the unit’s concrete slab with pesticide to prevent ants and spiders.

You may recognize the area on the evaporator and condenser coils known as “coil fins” by sight more than by their name. These flat metal pieces are extremely fragile and easy to bend. Be very careful when mowing or trimming to not damage the coils. Bent coils reduce airflow dramatically and impact the efficiency and life of your system. If the fins become badly bent or damaged, contact a service provider or a Christianson expert to restore them to good operating condition.

Other DIY Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips

There are several other DIY AC unit maintenance you can do before scheduling HVAC maintenance, including:

#1: Upgrade Your Thermostat

Older thermostats are not as energy-efficient as programmable thermostats and smart thermostats. Smart thermostats are superior because they learn your routines and will automatically adjust temperatures based on those routines.

Additionally, you can access your thermostat from just about anywhere using an app on your smartphone. You can make changes to your settings, such as turning down the AC a few degrees when you leave work so your home is cooled to your desired temperature when you arrive.

#2: Clean the Drain Pan

Some air conditioning units have a drain pan that helps drain away water when the unit runs. Dirt, dust, and other debris can get into the bottom of the pan. Over time, as the water mixes with dirt and dust, it can create clogs in the drain line.

About once a month, check the drain pan to make sure it is clean. If it is dirty, wash it with a mild dish soap, rinse it, dry it, and put it back into the unit. Your AC technician can show you where the drain pan is the next time they perform AC maintenance.

#3: Verify the Outdoor Unit Is Level

The outdoor unit must be level in order for it to function correctly. If it is not level, the unit will still run but can lead to problems with condensation getting under the evaporator and making the insulation wet. Should this occur, then all the insulation has to be replaced since wet insulation no longer provides any resistance.

Not to mention, the wet insulation becomes a breeding ground for mold and mildew. When the AC runs, it will not only increase the humidity inside the house but also make it smell.

#4: Check the Drain Pipe on the Outdoor AC Unit

When the air conditioner runs, it will produce water as it cools hot air. The water should drain out a drain pipe on the side of the unit. If you notice the water is not draining properly, carefully remove the drain pipe and run hot water through it to remove any clogs.

Other DIY Tips to Improve Your Home’s Energy Efficiency

Aside from keeping up with air conditioning maintenance, there are several other things you can do to improve your home’s energy efficiency to keep it cool in summer and warm in winter, as follows:

• Recaulk Around Windows – You should replace the old caulk annually to help prevent air leaks around windows.
• Replace Door Seals – Inspect the door seals around doors and replace anywhere you can see light coming in around the door.
• Block Direct Sunlight – Use thick curtains or thick blinds to block out direct sunlight on sun-facing windows.
• Replace Your Windows – Upgrading to energy-efficient windows does improve the overall energy efficiency of your home.
• Add Attic Insulation – Another easy DIY project is to increase the amount of insulation in your attic.

Leave It to the Pros

Although some minor maintenance can be performed by the homeowner or business owner, a maintenance plan with Christianson Air Conditioning & Plumbing includes all the annual and bi-annual maintenance that will keep your HVAC system running more efficiently. These services include two precision system tune-ups annually: one in the spring and one in the fall.

Your air conditioning is a vital component of your comfort and utility bill. Don’t leave its efficiency to chance. Call Christianson Air Conditioning & Plumbing in Austin at (512) 246-5400 or our San Antonio location at (210) 651-1212 to schedule your maintenance services before hot weather rolls around.