Ductwork

Ductwork

What is the ductwork?

An HVAC system is like your body’s circulatory system with the thermostat acting as your brain, your furnace as your heart, and the ductwork as your blood vessels. Just like the veins and arteries in our body, there are return air ducts and supply air ducts. The return air ducts bring unconditioned air from your house into the furnace to be conditioned. While the supply air ducts send the conditioned air into the house. Without proper ductwork, your HVAC system will struggle to keep you comfortable inside your home. 

Why is Ductwork Important?

The ductwork in your home is responsible for circulating the air around your home. Properly sized and installed ductwork has multiple benefits. First, it will reduce the strain on your HVAC equipment, prolonging its life and saving you money in energy costs. 

Second, your air will be cleaner with fewer dust particles, allergens, and germs floating in the air. The better the air circulates through a home, the more you filter will eliminate these hazards. 

Third, is your overall comfort. Sufficient ductwork in your home will reduce hot and cold spots in your home by providing consistent, even temperatures throughout your home. If your ductwork isn’t properly sized and installed, problems will occur. Poor ductwork results in a traffic jam of air within your ductwork, causing your equipment to work harder and potentially a lower life span, as well as a reduction in your overall comfort. 

The bottom line is that your ductwork is just as important as your HVAC equipment. The only way to ensure that your equipment and ductwork are properly sized is to have Manual J Load and Manual D calculations performed in your home to make sure your entire HVAC system is sized properly. Too many contractors skip these steps, but it should be standard with any major HVAC project.