You Need to Balance Your HVAC System
When some rooms in your home are consistently warmer or cooler than others, there may be an obvious cause, such as an uninsulated exterior wall or drafty windows. But it is not always the case.
If you can’t determine what’s behind the temperature difference, there’s a good chance your home’s HVAC system needs to be rebalanced. Air balancing is an important part of maintaining effective air circulation and air quality throughout your home. To better understand this process and why it’s important, Lifehacker spoke with four HVAC and HVAC technicians. Here’s what they told us about balancing HVAC systems, including how to make some DIY adjustments and when to call a professional.
What is air balancing?
HVAC balancing (or simply “air balancing”) refers to the process of making adjustments to optimize a home’s heating and cooling system and ultimately improve its efficiency, says Jimmy Hiller, president and CEO of Hiller Plumbing. Heating. , Refrigeration and Electrical.
“The main goal of air balancing is to ensure that air is distributed evenly throughout the home, resulting in a consistent temperature in all rooms,” Hiller tells Lifehacker. The process involves ensuring each room receives the right amount of heated or cooled air depending on its size and use, he said.
What are the signs that your HVAC system needs balancing?
According to all the HVAC experts we spoke with, a clear sign that your HVAC system needs to be balanced is uneven heating and/or cooling in different parts of the home. In other words, some rooms or spaces are consistently warmer or cooler than others, for no (distinct) obvious reason.
“If you walk into a room in your home and feel like the temperature has dropped five degrees, it could be a sign of a draft, but it could also be a sign that the HVAC system just needs to be balanced,” says John. Gabrielli, owner and founder ofAir Temp Solutions .
Noises such as whistling vents or loud fans can also be a sign of an imbalance in the HVAC system, Hillier says. “Balancing the system can help reduce these noises, ensuring smooth air movement through the ducts,” he explains.
Air purifiers and humidifiers that are worth paying attention to:
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Levoit Top Fill Humidifier ($28.98)
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Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Air Purifier ($204.82)
What Causes Imbalance in an HVAC System?
Temperature imbalances can be caused by a variety of factors, such as distance from the HVAC unit, duct size and placement, or natural heat gain/loss in different areas of the home.
“Over time, ducts can become clogged or leak air,” Gabrielli tells Lifehacker. “Changes to the home, such as renovations or additions, can also change airflow patterns.” Hiller adds changes to the foundation and insulation to the list of changes in home dynamics that can cause a home’s original HVAC system design to no longer be optimal.
In other cases, a closed supply register may be the culprit. “A homeowner who closes supply registers may inadvertently reduce the overall air flow in the system, which can strain the fan motor,” says Jenny Bergman, senior product manager for indoor air quality at Trane Residential. “This can lead to increased energy consumption and ultimately premature system failures due to excessive wear and tear on the HVAC system.” According to Bergman, a closed supply register has the same negative impact on HVAC system performance as a dirty or clogged air filter.
Why is air balancing important?
As we discussed above, a balanced HVAC system is essential to ensure even airflow and consistent temperatures in all areas of your home. But as Hiller and Gabrielli explain, air balancing is necessary for more than just comfort reasons. Let’s start with those related to money.
“An unbalanced system can lead to inefficiency, causing the HVAC system to work harder than necessary to maintain the desired temperature,” says Hiller. When your HVAC system is forced to work harder, it will lead to increased energy consumption and, in turn, higher utility bills. And because it’s overloaded, it puts extra stress on the system, which can lead to more frequent component failures and the need for costly repairs, potentially shortening its lifespan.
It can also cost you money when you decide to sell your home. “Regular air balancing is important to maintain and potentially increase property value, as a well-maintained HVAC system is one of the key features potential buyers look for,” Hiller explains.
But that’s not all: an unbalanced HVAC system can also harm your home or even your health. “Proper air circulation is essential to maintaining good indoor air quality,” says Hiller. “An unbalanced system may not circulate air efficiently in certain areas, leading to problems such as moisture buildup , mold growth , or air stagnation.”
How to Balance Your HVAC System
As experts explained, air balancing is a process that involves adjusting different parts of your HVAC system to improve its efficiency. Like most processes, it usually consists of several steps, some more complex than others.
In this case, there are many complex aspects of balancing an HVAC system that should only be performed by a professional. However, there are also a few relatively simple adjustments you can try to make first. While these tweaks won’t fix every possible problem, they may solve yours and are worth trying before calling a professional.
Check the filters
Even if you already change your HVAC filters regularly, you’ll have to do it again. “Whether you or an HVAC professional performs the balancing, it should always start with checking and replacing the filters, since dirty air filters can restrict air flow,” Hiller explains. According to Chris Winters, technical content specialist at Cielo WiGle Inc. With five years of experience as an HVAC technician, clogged filters can also cause uneven temperatures. “For optimal performance, clean [HVAC air filters] every two weeks and replace [them] every three to four months,” he tells Lifehacker.
Inspect the vents
Next, check all the vents in your home, meaning the supply vents (i.e. those that bring heated or cold air into your home) as well as the return vents (i.e. those that pull air from the rooms of your home and return it back ). to the HVAC system), advises Hiller. Make sure the vents are open and unobstructed.
Clean the vents
If you notice dust and dirt in your vents, including that stuck in the cover or grille, it’s time to clean them. This 2021 Lifehacker post looks at the different steps of the cleanup process.
Sometimes you may get lucky and discover that a certain room or space has been too hot or too cold because one (or more) of the vents has been turned off, or that a piece of furniture, another large object, or an obscene amount of dust and the dirt completely blocked it. If this does not happen, proceed to the next steps. (Or, if your technical knowledge and/or patience is nearing its end, it might be time to call a professional.)
Do a temperature check
While the HVAC system is running, check the vents in each room. First, make sure that air is coming out of each inlet. If it’s not, double check the vent to make sure it’s actually open. If it’s open but there’s no or very little air flow, write it down: You’ll probably have to call an HVAC technician and this way you can tell him which vents are blocked. I don’t work.
If air is coming out of the supply vent, use a thermometer (we recommend an infrared thermometer ) to check and record its temperature. Once you’ve connected all the vents in your home, check the airflow temperature, identifying rooms or areas that are too hot or too cold.
Find and adjust shock absorbers
The next step in DIY air balancing involves the dampers of your HVAC system. Many systems have dampers in the ducts that can be adjusted to control the air flow in each room, Hiller said.
But before you adjust the shock absorbers, you will have to find them. “To find the dampers, follow the ductwork from the furnace,” Hiller explains. “The dampers are usually located where the ducts branch off from the main line.”
If you don’t already know which ducts supply air to the various rooms and areas of your home, you may need someone to check the air flow coming through the supply vents and let you know if there is any difference when adjusting a particular one. flaps. . This process is similar to figuring out which switch controls the electricity at an outlet or switch, and also involves some trial and error.
To adjust the HVAC dampers, you will need to rotate the levers on the outside of the ducts. As Winters explains, moving the lever will either open or close the metal disc inside the supply line that controls the flow of air to different parts of your home. “Rotate the lever to achieve maximum airflow while keeping the metal disc level, and remember that the vertical position blocks airflow,” he notes.
Now that you understand how to make adjustments, go back through your list, noting the temperature of the air coming through the vents in each room.
“Close the dampers slightly in rooms that are getting too much air—usually those closest to the HVAC unit—and open them more in rooms that aren’t getting enough air,” Hiller says. “Make small adjustments, about 10 to 20 percent at a time, and wait a day or two to see the effect before making further changes.”
Over the next few days, monitor the temperature in each room and continue adjusting the dampers until you achieve balanced airflow. “Remember, every home and HVAC system is unique, so what works for one may not work for another,” Hiller says. “Be patient and be willing to experiment a little to get the best results.”