5 Hidden HVAC Problems to Check Before You Replace Your System

Get my House Sense Library to understand HVAC warning signs and check the evidence before approving replacement : https://wadeharlanhomes.com A quote for a new heating and cooling system can feel like the only way forward after a long stretch of rooms that never feel right. Some of those quotes arrive before anyone takes a single reading of how the system is actually moving air. That kind of HVAC airflow problem can start somewhere ordinary, and one of the places it leads is a spot you probably walked past this morning. 0:00 Does Your HVAC Really Need Replacing? 2:33 What Happens Behind a Closed Door? 5:42 The Hidden Problem Behind Your Furniture 7:20 Can Cleaner Air Come at a Cost? 8:45 What’s Hiding Behind the Grille? 10:09 Why Better Blowers Can Hide Trouble 11:22 The Number to Ask For Before You Replace It SOURCES AND FURTHER READING This video is general information about home heating and cooling airflow, not a diagnosis of your system. For airflow measurements, duct changes, or any concern about how your gas appliances vent, contact a licensed heating and cooling contractor. CLOSED DOORS AND RETURN AIR PATHWAYS Building Science Corporation, Info-804 Undercutting Doors Why door undercuts fall short, pressurized rooms, carpet staining, and the energy penalty https://buildingscience.com/documents... Building Science Corporation, BA-0006 Transfer Grilles (Building America report) How closed bedrooms pressurize while common areas depressurize https://buildingscience.com/sites/def... U.S. Department of Energy, Building America Solution Center, Transfer Grilles Transfer grilles, jump ducts, sizing from measured airflow, and the ENERGY STAR closed door pressure test https://basc.pnnl.gov/resource-guides... U.S. Department of Energy, Building America Solution Center, Ducted Returns Dedicated return ducts for closed rooms https://basc.pnnl.gov/resource-guides... RETURN LEAKAGE AND GAS APPLIANCE VENTING U.S. Department of Energy, Building America, Managing the Drivers of Air Flow and Water Vapor Transport How return duct leakage can depressurize a garage and interfere with gas appliance venting https://www1.eere.energy.gov/building... U.S. Department of Energy, Building America Solution Center, Attic Air Sealing and Insulation Checklist Combustion safety testing for natural draft equipment https://basc.pnnl.gov/home-improvemen... FILTERS U.S. EPA, Indoor airPLUS Technical Bulletin on Filtration Higher MERV filters, airflow restriction, and matching the filter to the fan and slot https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/fil... U.S. Department of Energy, Building America Solution Center, High MERV Filters Particle capture versus pressure drop, and making sure the system can handle the filter https://basc.pnnl.gov/resource-guides... BLOWER MOTORS AND STATIC PRESSURE Nordyne, Variable Speed Blower Technical Specifications How variable speed blower motors hold airflow against duct resistance https://library.coburns.com/specs/NOR... Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, BPM Motors in Residential Gas Furnaces Why motor savings depend on duct static pressure in real houses https://eta.lbl.gov/publications/bpm-... ENERGY STAR, National HVAC Commissioning Checklist Measuring total external static pressure during system commissioning https://www.energystar.gov/sites/defa... ENERGY STAR, HVAC Requirements and Resources for New Homes Program requirements behind the commissioning and pressure tests https://www.energystar.gov/partner-re... #StaticPressure #ReturnAir #HVACAirflow #HVAC #HomeInspection