Factors in HVAC Efficiency
Factors in HVAC Efficiency
Excerpt: Efficient home heating and cooling means you’ll enjoy greater comfort at lower cost. This article highlights some of the major factors that affect HVAC efficiency and how you can take steps toward better furnace and air conditioner function.
There are many factors that play a role in home HVAC efficiency; when these factors are poorly-controlled, your HVAC system will naturally consume more energy to do its job. The harder your HVAC system must work, the more strain the system experiences and the sooner parts will wear out or break. Excessive strain over the long term will limit the overall efficiency and lifetime of your furnace and air conditioning. Learning the most common factors that affect HVAC efficiency is the first step in determining whether they are a problem for your home. If you think your HVAC system could be suffering from unnecessary energy loss, talk to your Detroit heating and air conditioning service about how you can reduce lost energy for a more efficient home and greater indoor comfort.
Leaky Air Ducts
If you have central heating and cooling, the ducts that carry air throughout your home can suffer from leaky seals or poor insulation, which leads to energy waste as air that has been heated or cooled is lost to the uninhabited spaces of your home before it can reach your air registers. Leaky ducts are one of the top energy wasters in the home, responsible for 30-40% losses in some cases. For homes with leaky ducts, this means that almost half of the heated or cooled air produced by your HVAC system never reaches your living spaces, leading to greater energy usage, higher bills, and shorter HVAC appliance lifespans.
Poor HVAC Installation
Another common cause of HVAC system inefficiency is improper installation. During installation, your furnace or air conditioner is attached to your ductwork to provide optimal airflow through the appliances and into your ducts, minimizing the amount of heating or cooling that is lost along the way. However, improper installation can result in significant energy losses, as air is not heated or cooled efficiently and air is allowed to escape from the system before it can be funneled into the ducts. These inefficiencies will translate directly into higher utility bills and lower home comfort when you can’t get the performance from your heating and cooling system that you expect.
Malfunctioning or Poorly-Maintained HVAC Appliances
The condition of your HVAC appliances can also play a role in the amount of energy they consume. The longer a problem is allowed to persist, the more your heating or cooling system’s efficiency will suffer. Issues such as clogged air filters, dirty components, ice on air conditioning coils, and failing electrical parts can drastically increase the amount of energy your HVAC system needs to deliver the heating and cooling you want. The best way to maintain HVAC efficiency over the long term is to schedule biannual tune-ups for your furnace and air conditioning, and schedule repairs immediately any time you discover an issue, rather than allowing it to persist.
Addressing these factors with the help of your HVAC service in Detroit will keep your heating and air conditioning operating efficiently for years to come. We invite you to take a look through our website to find out more about HVAC maintenance, repairs, and replacement, or check out our blog for more tips you can use to keep your home comfortable for less money.