What Is Air Balancing? Are you preparing to make a major decision on your heating and air conditioning system? Perhaps this is your first comfort system purchase. This information can help you make an informed, confident decision. Air Balancing Defined In its simplest form, Air Balancing is the process of testing and adjusting your air conditioning system to deliver the right amount of air to each room in your home. The actual Air Balancing process includes a number of related tests that determine the performance of your air conditioning and heating system. Air balancing hoods are used to measure the amount of air at each grille. Manometers measure system pressures. Hygrometers measure system temperature and humidity. The results of all these tests are compiled into a report to determine how well your system is functioning. What Air Balancing Can Do For Your System It’s not uncommon to find a system 30% to 50% low on airflow. Air passes through the equipment and carries the heating or cooling inside. The effectiveness of the equipment is entirely dependent on the amount of airflow. When your certified technician measures the airflow he can "see" system performance. With this information he can diagnose, repair and balance the duct system for maximum system performance. The end result is rooms that are the same temperature, cleaner air, better humidity control and real energy savings. Frequently Asked Questions QUESTION: Can any system be balanced? ANSWER: A contractor with the right tools and training can improve the performance of virtually any system. The more accessible your ductwork is, the easier it is to perform balancing and duct renovation work. QUESTION: What’s the difference between an NCI Certified Technician and other heating and air conditioning techs? ANSWER: Most companies are in business to just fix or replace heating and cooling equipment. Your certified Air Balancing Technician considers the entire system and is qualified to test, diagnose, and repair your ducts as well as your equipment. QUESTION: Most contractors tell me that I’ll save big on my utility bills and be more comfortable by just replacing my existing equipment with a more efficient model. Is this true? ANSWER: It could be, as long as the duct system is in the same condition as the new equipment. If it isn’t, the system will only function as well as the ducts do. Compare it to installing a brand-new race car engine on an old beat up sedan. QUESTION: How will air balancing solve my problem of rooms with different temperature? ANSWER: The airflow through the system is what carries the heating or cooling. By adjusting the volume of airflow, we adjust the amount of heating or cooling a room needs to become comfortable. What should I expect from my heating and cooling contractor? Your contractor should always check the Static Pressure of your system whenever repairing or planning to replace your heating and/or cooling equipment. A familiar comparison is when you go to your doctor, someone always checks your blood pressure. Like blood pressure, Static Pressure is one of the key vital signs of your comfort system. This test helps your contractor identify any significant blockage or leakage. With this initial testing along with an indepth interview, your contractor can recommend the appropriate diagnostic tests followed by recommendations to correct existing issues and optimize your home’s comfort and energy efficiency. WHY AIR BALANCE? Do you have some rooms that are too hot or too cold? Do you have "thermostat wars" as people disagree on settings as they try to get comfortable? Do you find that you must use supplementary heaters to keep warm in the winter, and supplemental fans to keep cool in the summer? If so, having your air duct system balanced might solve your comfort problems. Air balancing is a process of measuring and adjusting air flow to the needs of the occupants. The first step is to analyze the building loads (need for heating and cooling) in each room or area. The next step is to record the information from the equipment, and all of the supply and return registers and grilles. By analyzing the load information the target airflow for each register and grille is recorded. After this information is recorded the equipment is started and the airflow through the equipment is measured as well as the static pressures created in the duct system. This information is recorded on the form. With the indoor blower set on the cooling speed, the measuring of the air at the registers and grilles can begin. The airflow in cubic feet per minute is measured and recorded with an airflow hood or a hot-wire anemometer, and recorded for each outlet and inlet. Then damper adjustments are made to bring the system closer to the ideal and the measurements are taken again. This is repeated until the available air is "balanced" to be as close to the ideal as is possible. Airflow within 10% of design is considered acceptable, and will provide great comfort. Apple Heating is a certified Air Balance Contractor. Scott Robinson holds the National Balancing Institute air balancing certification, #0103107. National Balancing Institute is part of the National Comfort Institute - more info available at www.nationalinstitute.com Sometimes a comfort system can't be brought into a state of acceptable performance. Some of the causes are equipment that is not sized correctly, or not installed correctly. More often the duct system is not sufficient to do the job. Almost all duct systems leak air, some more than others. The Department of Energy believes that duct systems nationwide leak an average of 20%. For more on duct systems go to (link to duct page on Apple site). Other problems with duct systems can be systems that are too small or too restrictive. There may not be enough branches, outlets, or returns. All of these problems can be diagnosed and corrected. http://www.hauckbrothers.com/faq_ask_the_expert_.html http://www.airbalancingco.com/tutorial.html