It’s summertime, and you may be overworking your HVAC system. It’s true that your HVAC is designed to work hard, summer or winter, but there are factors that may be contributing to overworking — and with them, premature malfunction of your system.
Here are some pointers on detecting an overworked HVAC system, and what to do about it.
Wrong Size HVAC System
Incorrect sizing is the no. 1 reason that both heating and cooling systems work harder than they should. If the system is too large for the home, it will short cycle and turn on and off continuously, never reaching temperature set points. In time, this will wear out parts and cause it to break down. A system that’s too small will run continuously, never adequately cooling or heating the home.
The remedy is to replace your system with a properly sized system when it’s time. Make sure the HVAC consultant doesn’t just give you the same size system as before or guess what size you need based solely on square footage. Industry software exists that can help a consultant determine with greater accuracy what size system your home needs. The consultant visiting your home is a critical step in getting the correct size system that will work most efficiently for you and your family.
Ductwork Needs Replacement
Your system may not be cooling or heating adequately because the ductwork isn’t delivering air as it should. Has anyone inspected the ducts in a while? Perhaps segments have come loose or developed holes and cracks, allowing conditioned air to escape, and humid, unconditioned air to be drawn into the system. Perhaps the ducts are poorly sized and designed, and need to be replaced. If uneven cooling and heating are occurring in your home, have an HVAC consultant look at the ducts and make recommendations. You’re not only losing money on your utility bill, but you’re also overworking the system trying to reach thermostat set points
Change the Air Filter
This is a simple fix. Leaving a dirty air filter in will slow down air flow and overwork your HVAC system. Change the filter regularly as recommended by the filter manufacturer.
For more on taking the load off an overworked HVAC system, contact Jackson and Sons of eastern North Carolina.
Jackson & Sons, Inc.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, Pitt and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Trane”
