Homeowners are wise to evaluate their homes’ ductwork design, whether they are planning for a newly constructed home or assessing comfort problems in an existing home. 

Why does duct design matter? The typical home’s ductwork efficiency often falls well under par, wasting energy and hurting home comfort. An inefficient duct system can lead to a host of problems, including:

• Air leaks, which cause HVAC equipment to work harder and consume more energy
• The installation of oversize systems to make up for energy losses
• Poor home comfort, with some rooms that are stuffy and others that are hot or cold zones
• Improper pressure balance, which creates an uncomfortable home and forces your HVAC system to consume more energy to try to overcome losses through air leaks
• Poor indoor air quality, as a leaky system creates an entry point for humidity and contaminants such as dust to gain access to your home
• Low airflow rates throughout the home, which also can create undue hardship on your HVAC system

Many of these problems result when ductwork is designed as an afterthought. It pays to take the time to develop a well-thought-out plan for your home’s ductwork design. Among other benefits, good ductwork design:

• Allows the ductwork to meet the cooling and heating loads of the home
• Ensures proper equipment sizing and meets airflow requirements
• Optimizes airflow through a well-sealed system
• Guarantees maximum indoor air quality, and prevents contaminants from gaining access
• Ensures that supply and return ducts create a balanced pressure throughout the home
• Prevents energy losses with adequate duct insulation

While you might think that retrofitting ductwork is too costly, many homes can significantly benefit from even minor adjustments in ductwork design. The payoff of energy savings usually makes the service worthwhile.

To get the most out of your investment in your home-comfort systems, and to maximize home comfort and energy savings, your home’s ductwork design should score high marks. If it doesn’t, contact Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning. We’re happy to visit your home and conduct our comprehensive duct evaluation and develop a whole-house strategy to improve yours. Serving the San Antonio area, we’re always happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Ductwork image via Shutterstock

Sealing your home’s ducts is an easy yet effective project that can dramatically increase your home’s efficiency. If you could save even 10 percent on your energy bills, duct sealing would be worth it.

In fact, experts estimate that the average home’s ductwork systems loses a significant portion of the conditioned air that travels through them — up to 20 percent. If your home has a leaky or poorly connected ductwork system, you could stand to gain from sealing ducts.

How do you know if your ductwork leaks? Use these clues to help you decide if duct sealing is worth your while:

• Your energy bills have steadily climbed higher.
• Some rooms in your home are hard to cool or heat.
• A portion of your ductwork is located in the garage, basement or attic.
• You have flexible ductwork that is kinked.

If you’ve never taken the time to seal your home’s ductwork, you can safely assume that it’s likely that some of your ductwork leaks or has disconnected.

Many homeowners can take on a duct-sealing project themselves. You’ll need mastic sealant, a special adhesive that will bond to ducts, or metal tape. Seal around portions of the ductwork you can access.

However, it’s often ideal for homeowners to have a professional inspect and seal ductwork, for several reasons. An expert:

• Has access to specialized tools to assess the system’s potential for leaks and optimize airflow
• Can inspect the entire system
• Can access ducts in hard-to-reach areas
• Will evaluate and repair damaged ductwork
• Can find and professionally seal leaky and loosely connected ducts
• Will insulate ducts that are located in areas that don’t receive heated or cooled air to reduce energy losses that occur due to conduction
• Will ensure safety, reducing the risk of backdrafting, which draws carbon monoxide through the ducts

Don’t let wasted energy put a strain on your energy bills. With duct sealing, you can easily take a big bite out of energy losses, and translate that into savings. Contact Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning today if you’d like help with this project, or to ask a question. Serving the San Antonio area, we’re always happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Ductwork image via Shutterstock

Want to see better results every time you open your energy bill? A comprehensive approach to improving home performance and increasing energy savings gets the best results.

Use the following steps to ensure that you leave no stone unturned when evaluating how your home uses energy — and that you use targeted actions that will improve it. For whole-house energy savings:

• Equipment size matters. Every piece of air-conditioning equipment has a specific capacity to cool. If that capacity doesn’t meet your home’s cooling requirements, or “cooling load,” you’ll notice that it will directly impact your overall comfort. Equipment that’s too big or too small will not be able to adequately heat or cool your home, and A/C equipment in particular will not be able to manage humidity levels.
• Know your efficiency. Even if your current equipment isn’t that old, you could still benefit significantly from upgrading. Today, high-efficiency cooling equipment can reach efficiencies far beyond what systems manufactured just 10 years ago can. In fact, the highest-efficiency A/Cs can now reach Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) 23.
• Ductwork impacts your systems. If your ductwork leaks or has loosely connected joints, you’re likely losing valuable conditioned air as it travels through the ducts. Have the system evaluated and upgraded by a professional.
• Keep conditioned air inside. With proper insulation levels, you can be assured that the conditioned air that your cooling and heating systems produce remains inside, because insulation acts as a heat barrier, restricting its movement in all seasons.
• Check the attic. Leaks in the attic allow air to infiltrate the space. In the summer, they will cause your attic’s temperature to soar, further impacting how cool your home feels. Sealing leaks is a fairly simple do-it-yourself job, but it’s important to also evaluate ventilation. A professional HVAC contractor can help you install a solar-powered attic fan, which will remove heat in the attic while saving energy.

Get expert help to assess your home’s performance, and increase your potential for energy savings. Contact your local HVAC professionals at Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning today. We’ve proudly served the Greater San Antonio area since the mid-1970s.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Energy efficiency image via Shutterstock

While the majority of homeowners focus on the efficiency of their furnace systems to predict energy savings, a home’s ductwork design is just as critical. In fact, the majority of ductwork systems perform up to 75 percent less efficiently than they should.

Therefore, taking steps to ensure that ductwork operates efficiently can translate into big savings — all year long.

Why duct design is critical

Your home’s ducts are designed to take conditioned air and deliver it into every room, ensuring an even flow of heated and cooled air and a comfortable home. A well-designed duct system should ensure furnace efficiency, as well as allow a homeowner to use an appropriately sized heating system. If the ducts leak or are poorly designed, you may need to use a larger system, thereby increasing the purchase cost of your furnace. Additionally, most ducts are under-insulated, allowing conditioned air to heat up in the summer or cool down in the winter before the air enters the conditioned space.

Problems that result from poor ductwork design

When ductwork performance is less than ideal, several problems can result:

• Minimized comfort, with hot and cold zones in the home, where conditioned air is unable to effectively reach all of the spaces
• Increased energy costs, because leaking ducts can draw conditioned air outside of the home, and vice versa.
• Decreased indoor air quality, because ducts that leak bring undesired elements, such as humidity or pollutants, into the home.
• Compromised safety, increasing the likelihood of backdrafting (a process that draws gases released by combustible equipment back into the home).
• Decreased airflow, when ducts have too many bends or are undersized, which leads to a lower flow of air and noisy ducts.

Ductwork design goals

Ideally, ducts should be designed so that they optimize comfort. This process should include properly sizing the ducts, sealing them to ensure airflow and safety, balancing the pressure in the home with an equal supply and return flow of air, and delivering conditioned air that maintains its temperature throughout the process.

To ensure that your San Antonio area home’s ductwork design is as efficient as possible, contact the experts at Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning. We can assess your ducts and offer effective solutions.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Air duct image via Shutterstock

Does your home have airflow problems? If it does, you may benefit from evaluating, and possibly modifying, your ductwork system.

The ductwork system is the system of tubes and vents your heating and cooling equipment relies on to get conditioned air into the rooms in your home. When there are problems with airflow, you are mostly likely wasting energy – and dollars.

How do you know if you have an airflow problem? Telltale signs include:

• Uncomfortably hot or cold rooms.
• Dry winter air or muggy summer air.
• A dusty home.
• Increased energy bills.

Common sources of airflow problems include deteriorating ducts or ducts that were incorrectly designed or installed. Even if the installation is perfect, if the design of the ductwork is flawed, the home will still be uncomfortable. If installation was under par, your ducts may have been leaking conditioned air from the get-go. Additionally, duct connections can loosen and cause leaks over time. Problems with original duct design could also inhibit adequate airflow.

Have your ductwork’s airflow tested before you make any changes. Professional heating and cooling technicians have access to testing tools to evaluate airflow and your entire ductwork system. If testing reveals problems, you can benefit significantly by having them retrofitted. Benefits of correcting problems with your ductwork include:

• Energy savings. Leaky ducts can contribute to a significant amount of energy loss, up to 40 percent, according to some experts.
• Improved comfort. With properly sealed ducts, your home’s air will be able to get where it needs to go, and you’ll have a balanced flow of air. You’ll no longer have problems with hot or cold zones because too much or not enough air is getting into rooms through supply ducts.
• Better indoor air quality. Leaky ducts are more likely to distribute pollutants throughout your home. Further, harmful gases from forced-air systems can get sucked back into your home, instead of exhausted outside. Tight ducts are therefore critical to healthy indoor air quality.

Do you think your home might have airflow issues? Contact San Antonio’s home-comfort experts at Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning today for a consultation, to ask questions or to schedule an airflow test. We would be happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about airflow problems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Is your home losing energy through the air ducts? Chances are it is, but you may not even know it. According to the U.S. government’s Energy Star program, a typical San Antonio home may be losing 20 percent of its conditioned air through leaky ducts. That’s air you’re paying to cool or heat — a significant loss that can force your HVAC system to work overtime, not to mention boost your utility bills. Leaks and disconnected joints also can draw in unfiltered, unconditioned air, lowering your indoor air quality.

Here’s the good news: Sealing your air ducts can help.

Some of your ducts aren’t easy to reach, because they’re hidden inside your ceilings, floors and walls. If these have developed leaks, you should ask a certified HVAC professional to inspect your ductwork thoroughly and seal any leaks.

However, many the air ducts that develop leaks are in uninsulated, exposed areas, such as the basement, attic, crawl space and garage. You may be able to take care of these yourself. A few tips from the experts at Jon Wayne:

• If duct joints have become disconnected, use an aluminum tape to bind them. Aluminum tape also works well for flex ducts. Don’t shy away from paying more for a high-quality tape. You’ll be glad you did.
• If any ducts have gotten dented, crunched or kinked, straighten them out.
• Duct mastic is the best substance for sealing ducts. It comes in caulk dispensers or in tubs. It will harden once it’s applied.
• Mastic is also effective at sealing the area where the ducts leave the main “box” (the plenum) of your HVAC system.
• Make sure all grilles and registers throughout the house are attached tightly to the ducts.

Don’t use duct tape for this project. It’s not very effective, and it won’t last as long as specialized sealants. If you take the time to do it right, your sealed air ducts should improve your comfort and lower your utility bills.

Questions? Contact the professionals at Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning. Our team is proud to serve San Antonio homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about duct sealing and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Jon Wayne Heating and Air Conditioning services  San Antonio and the surrounding communities of Seguin, New Braunfels, Bulverde, Boerne, and Comal County. Visit our website to see our special offers to get started today!

Ductwork problems occur in many homes. Not only do ducts tend to leak air and cause significant energy losses; ducts can also suffer from poor design.

Because ducts must be designed to allow sufficient airflow throughout the home – and also deliver conditioned air through that airflow – calculating the airflow rate is critical. A proper design is based on calculating the airflow rate of each room using the Air Conditioning Contractors of America’s “Manual J” method. This requires taking into consideration the heat gain and heat loss of every room. Once that is established, the contractor can figure out the airflow rate, based on the cubic feet per minute (CFM). Once the airflow rate, heat gain/loss and CFM are determined, the duct design can accurately reflect the home’s needs.

Other poor design factors result in ducts that are too small to accommodate the necessary airflow. Another problem stems from ducts that are twisted, which hinders airflow. Improper airflow can also result from installing too many ducts that are “Tee-WYEs,” where one large duct trunk separates into many unequal duct branches compromising the balance of air.

Poor installation can also create ductwork problems:

• If the installer used just duct tape alone at the point where duct connections occur, the seal will likely break over time and lead to air leaks and an imbalance of air. Duct tape should be used along with tie bands and sealing mastic to create a strong seal.
• It’s difficult to tightly wrap duct tape when start collars are short (around three inches); however, longer start collars make a tight wrap.
• Air-return cans that are poorly installed can breach the whole return-air system.
• Any kinks in the duct system can impact airflow significantly, and cause over 50 percent loss of air.

If your duct requirements have changed, let Jon Wayne help. Our ductwork design experts will use Manual J to calculate your home’s airflow rate and offer suggestions for updates to the ductwork.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about ductwork and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Jon Wayne Heating and Air Conditioning services  San Antonio and the surrounding communities of Seguin, New Braunfels, Bulverde, Boerne, and Comal County.  Visit our website to see our special offers to get started today!

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

If some rooms in your house aren’t receiving adequate airflow or are difficult to keep cool, you might be tempted to blame your HVAC system. The problem also could be your air ducts. Poorly designed and inefficient ducts can imbalance pressure levels throughout the house, cause circulation problems, strain the HVAC system, and waste energy.

A few signs that could signal airflow problems caused by duct problems:

• Some rooms that are hard to keep cool.
• Some rooms that are always stuffy or humid.
• Skyrocketing utility bills.
• You have ductwork in uninsulated areas, such as the garage or attic.
• You have a new or improved HVAC system that’s coupled with old ductwork.

Over time, air ducts may naturally develop tears or disjointed connections that waste conditioned air, while pulling unfiltered air into the house from contaminated areas such as the attic. Dust and dirt also accumulate in equipment and can reduce the efficiency of the ducts.

The design of your ductwork contributes to efficiency, too. Properly designed and installed ductwork saves energy and increases airflow in the following ways:

• It includes return air supply vents in every room or in central areas of the home.
• It’s sized to handle the precise amount of airflow produced by the HVAC system.
• Its ducts get smaller as they branch away from the main core, just as streams branching off a river become smaller, to maintain static pressure.
• Its angles are curved instead of sharply cornered, which can “wrinkle” airflow.

Air ducts can be likened to the house’s circulatory system. Your home is healthier when they function efficiently. However, because ducts are out of sight, behind walls and in ceilings, it can be hard to diagnose problems yourself. If you suspect your airflow issues could be related to your ductwork, please contact San Antonio’s experts anytime at Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about ductwork and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Jon Wayne Heating and Air Conditioning services  San Antonio and the surrounding communities of Seguin, New Braunfels, Bulverde, Boerne, and Comal County. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.

Your air ducts function as the “circulatory system” of your house. They distribute conditioned air through all your rooms, maintaining temperature and pressure. However, the average San Antonio home loses 20% of conditioned air through leaks, tears and disjointed connections in ductwork. If your HVAC system has to work overtime to replace this lost energy, you’re spending money you shouldn’t have to. Leaky ductwork also imbalances your HVAC system, which can lead to low efficiency and even more energy loss. Luckily, sealing air ducts can correct many of these issues.

It can be difficult to know whether your air ducts need to be sealed in the first place. Since they are usually located in the walls, ceilings and floors, you can’t see most of them. Here are some clues:

• Your utility bills have skyrocketed, especially in hot summer weather
• You have rooms that won’t get cool, or always feel too cool
• You have a dust problem in your home
• You have ductwork located in un-insulated areas, such as a garage, attic or crawlspace

It’s also important that your air ducts are balanced with your HVAC system. If you’ve recently replaced your air conditioner but are using old ductwork, the old ducts may not be designed to handle the airflow levels the new AC produces. This can result in further energy loss, and worsen issues like rips and disjointed duct connections. Your new AC will have to work that much harder to replace all the lost energy, straining the equipment, compounding problems, and costing you ever more money.

If you have easily accessible ducts you can make a start at sealing them yourself using duct sealant or mastic. However, most ductwork is in areas that aren’t easy to get to. It’s a good idea to have your system inspected and repaired by a professional with the knowledge, equipment and expertise to get the job done right the first time.

If you think you could save money by sealing your air ducts, call Jon Wayne. We’ll inspect your system and save you money with a job well done!

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air duct sealing and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Jon Wayne Heating and Air Conditioning services  San Antonio and the surrounding communities of Seguin, New Braunfels, Bulverde, Boerne, and Comal County. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.

One of the questions we are often asked is whether a particular house needs new ductwork.  In these cases, we always look at the existing system and check for leaks, tears, holes, kinks in hoses, or poor connections. 

Minor issues like these can often be quickly repaired with metal foil tape (not duct tape, it doesn’t last as long) or mastic sealant.  Don’t forget to check the connections at registers and vents; this is often where ducts become disconnected and cause leaks.  These areas are also usually easier to reach and can be fixed relatively quickly.

The heated or cooled air in your home is only as good as the ductwork it flows through, so it’s worth the effort to have it checked regularly.  Heating ducts should also be insulated to prevent a significant amount of heat loss.  Insulating ductwork will also increase energy efficiency.

If your problems are not so minor, it may be time for an upgrade.  If you have sealed your ducts as much as possible and are still experiencing excessive dust, insufficient  air flow, higher utility bills, and uncomfortable rooms, you should consider contacting your local heating and air conditioning contractor to discuss installing a high-performance duct system.  A contractor can test your existing system, determine how much air flow you are actually losing, and advise you on the ductwork upgrade options available.

Newer duct systems are cleaner and engineered to be both more efficient and quieter.  They are also designed to deliver balanced air flow to the various rooms in your house, making the indoor climate much more pleasant and consistent.

Some of the benefits of upgrading ductwork include:

• A decrease in utility bills
• An increase in HVAC system efficiency
• A more comfortable and consistent home climate

Those of us in the San Antonio area know how expensive air conditioning can be, especially in the dog days of summer.  Have your ducts checked before the next heat wave and enjoy both the savings and the increase in comfort.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about upgrading ductwork and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Jon Wayne Heating and Air Conditioning services  San Antonio and the surrounding communities of Seguin, New Braunfels, Bulverde, Boerne, and Comal County. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.