Air balancing is not some fancy new gadget that everyone is using, it simply refers to the amount of air available in your home and how evenly it is distributed.
Although most people don’t spend any time thinking about the air in your home, the best environment for heat control and health is to have neutral air pressure. That means the pressure in all the rooms is the same.
This isn’t something that just happens, you need to spend time working out the air balance of your home and how to improve it. In most cases, you’ll want and need the expertise of an HVAC technician.
You should note that correct air balance ensures the same amount of air enters a room as the amount leaving. This ensures a natural flow of air. If you don’t achieve this it is likely that the air pressure will get too high and effectively force hot or cold air out of your home. This is a waste of energy.
Equally, the pressure can get too low and suck in air from outside. In both cases, this will make the job of your heating or cooling system much harder. The result is increased energy bills and wear on your systems, shortening their lives.
In short, an air-balanced home is better for your health and your wallet.
You should note that even if your house was perfectly sealed against outside air, it would still need to be balanced as an unbalanced house will not help the even distribution of hot or cold air
Effective Ways to Balance the Air
There are several things you can do to get your air balanced.
Under Floor Ventilation
The first thing you need to do is look at your under floor ventilation system if you have one. If not, you should consider having one fitted. An under-floor ventilation system is designed to move the air below the house, effectively helping to cool or even heat the house.
More importantly, it ensures that damp air is removed from under the house and this reduces the likelihood of mold spores and problems such as wet rot. The underfloor ventilation system also helps to keep pests away as it makes the environment drier and less appealing to pests.
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Professional Assistance
The professionals have experience in air balancing and they have the equipment that makes it possible. They will usually start by taking a note of the air pressure in each room. This will tell them how evenly the air is distributed and which rooms they need to deal with first.
In most cases, the issue will be connected to your air ducts that blow hot or cold air into each room. IF this is blowing into different rooms at different rates it is very hard to balance the air across the house.
To rectify this they will fit dampers to specific sections of the ducts, generally where they split. The dampers can be adjusted to boost or lower the amount of air going toward a specific room. This allows the technician, in conjunction with your system, to adjust individual boosters and get the air balanced.
Issues to be Aware of
Your house may already be capable of neutral air pressure but it can be hard to get and maintain this if you are affected by either of these issues:
Leaks in Ducts
Cracks in ducts cause the air to leak out. While it still makes its way into your home it doesn’t enter the right room spaces, making it virtually impossible to get a balanced air supply.
You’ll need to inspect your ducts and fix any issues before you try to balance your air.
Draughts
It should also be noted that cracks and gaps in your home allow air in and make it difficult for the balanced supply inside the house to stay that way. It is essential to block and fill all the gaps in your home. This will allow you to create a balanced air supply and it is also an effective way of keeping pests and other unwanted things out of your home.
