I get a lot of questions about problems with ducted HVAC systems. I wanted to share with you the most frequently asked questions and what my response was to them. These tips can be helpful during the winter and summer months because any type of duct problem is a big deal!
1. My air grille is not putting out enough air?
This very well could be a duct problem. Sometimes with older metal and older duct board, the trunk lines that supply certain rooms can collapse over time and cause air to leak into the attic or under the home. This can usually be fixed but it can be expensive.
Another issue that is very common is when a room is located at the end of a duct system. Sometimes those rooms do not get sufficient air flow and minor repairs can be done to resolve this problem.
2. Is it a big deal to close an air grille?
In most cases closing one to two air grilles in a home is not a big deal but if more than that are shut then you can start to have problems. The reason is because your HVAC system is designed to supply a certain amount of air to your home. The air grilles in your home can only put out a certain amount of air, so closing too many grilles in the house will cause air to “bottle neck” inside the duct work and eventually your system with freeze-up or over-heat.
3. Do I have enough return air?
In most cases the answer to that question is no. When I go into service a home, return air is one of the biggest issues that I find. Sometimes this can be fixed and sometimes it cannot depending on the home. Return air is very important because an HVAC system can only put out as much as it can suck in.
I hope that these comments have helped answer some questions and maybe reveled some problems that you might not have known about. Again, these are three of the most frequently asked questions, so if you have more please feel free to ask.