Many homeowners have worked to develop good habits for their home maintenance—especially when it comes to their indoor air quality. They might run the vacuum every week, replace their air filters every other month, and schedule their HVAC maintenance on an annual basis. But what about duct cleaning? All too often, homeowners forget about the important behind-the-scenes part of their heating and cooling system. You can’t neglect your ductwork!
A Quick Overview on Ductwork
Ductwork is the series of nifty pathways that move warm and chilled air throughout our homes. It’s how the forced air from your HVAC system gets carried from room to room. We use these systems almost every day, but they can be easy to forget about since they’re behind the walls.
When installed properly, your ductwork will be sized correctly for your home’s furnace and air conditioner. This helps ensure that you get the best efficiency rating with your setup. The fit will also need to be properly sealed. Any space or gaps between duct pieces will just let that hot or cold air escape into your attic or crawl space—which is a real pain for your energy bills.
The other concern about your ductwork’s efficiency relates to cleaning. A dirty duct system just makes it harder for your HVAC equipment to work correctly. This is similar to how you replace your furnace filter and the oil in your car. Cleaning your equipment is much more cost-effective.
Duct Cleaning Benefits
For the average home, duct cleaning is recommended every 3 years. This gets rid of any dust or chemicals that have been lurking in your ductwork and lowering the indoor air quality for your family. Cleaning your ductwork also removes dander, so it can be particularly helpful if you own pets. And since duct cleaning stops these air pollutants from continuously cycling through your home, it can be particularly beneficial for allergy and asthma sufferers.
Aside from the getting a regular duct cleaning every 3 years, a few other circumstances might call for a duct cleaning service, too. Namely, indoor remodeling work. Sanding hardwood floors, having new drywall hung, or tearing down drywall for a new, open layout can add lots of pollutants and dust to your indoor air. After this type of work, duct cleaning, furnace maintenance, and an air filter change are great ways to get your indoor air all freshened up.
LCS Duct Cleaning Services
When you’re ready to schedule your duct cleaning service, it’s important to work with the pros. As you research different companies, you’ll want to pay special attention to the type of equipment being used. How teams manage these projects makes a big difference in your overall results. (You don’t want to leave any of those dust bunnies behind.)
Here at LCS Heating and Cooling, we take indoor air quality very seriously. That’s why we choose to work with a negative air machine. Not all duct cleaning companies have this type of high-tech gear. Instead, they might be relying on just a big vacuum and a brush.
With our equipment, though, we can effectively remove even very fine particles and contaminants from your ductwork system. And because the negative pressure is continuous and closed, you won’t risk releasing that dust and grime into your rooms. It all stays secure in the vacuum setup. We’ve found this to be the best way to loosen and trap those contaminants, so you get a really detailed clean.
Getting your home or office air freshened up is easy when you have the right team, and we can help! Contact us today to learn more about our duct cleaning service packages. We’ll get the job done right.
When it’s cold outside, your heating units need to be able to keep you home comfortable. But if your furnace isn’t sized right for your home, you’ll just end up wasting money. Or worse—you’ll be dealing with a chilly “winter wonderland” inside!
Furnace Size and Ductwork
Most people tend to think that furnace size is only determined by square footage of their house. However, the biggest factor is actually the size of the ductwork. If your furnace size and ductwork don’t match up, you’re bound to have some problems.
For example, if the ductwork is too small for your furnace, the furnace will end up having a shorter lifespan than it should. The reason is because the amount of air that the furnace produces doesn't have enough space (ductwork) to travel through. Therefore, it restricts air flow and can eventually cause the furnace to overheat. To compare, it's kind of like driving a big truck with a MINI Cooper radiator in it.
If you want to get the best lifespan out of your furnace, you need to make sure it’s sized appropriately for your ductwork—not just your square footage. Experiencing any of the problems listed below is a sure sign that your equipment need a review.
Problems with Furnace Size
There are basically three possible scenarios for your home’s furnace size. You’ll either have a furnace that’s too big, one that’s too small, or a unit that’s sized just right for your home’s layout, the ductwork, and family needs. Keeping all these factors in mind will help you get an effective, energy-efficient setup.
Too Small
Having a furnace that is too small for your home means the system won’t be able to keep up with the dropping temperatures outside. They simply can’t make up the difference to heat your home properly. It might come with a lower price tag upfront, but the trouble of having a furnace that can’t even do its job isn’t worth the hassle.
When furnaces are too small, they’ll have to kick on often—or even non-stop—try to increase your indoor temp. They end up running and running, but without any real progress. This leads to excessively high energy bills, and not much help in making your home comfortable.
Too Big
Of course, a furnace that is too big won’t be much help either. When units are oversized for the space they’re heating, the furnace ends up working in quick bursts. They’ll turn on when the temperature is low and just end up creating heat pockets. Since the system works at full blast and heats some areas super-quickly, there isn’t enough time for the heat to travel throughout the home evenly.
The furnace then ends up turning on and off more times than is necessary. A few areas get toasty, and then the system turns off. Then, as that heat spreads out, the unit has to warm up again and start all over again. This makes over-sized furnaces really inefficient. For most homes, bigger units aren’t better.
Your Right-Size Furnace
A furnace that is appropriately sized for your home and needs will turn on and heat your space gradually. This makes the process much more energy-efficient and puts less strain on your equipment. If you’ve been noticing that your furnace is running non-stop, there’s a good chance it’s too small for your home. And if it’s constantly starting and stopping, you might be living with a unit that’s too big.
When you have a furnace that’s sized correctly for your home, you shouldn’t have to worry about any hot or cold pockets in your home. But even the most efficient systems aren’t totally fool-proof. On the coldest night of the year, your furnace may not be able to keep up. This is actually normal. Systems that plow through those sub-zero temps are likely working inefficient the rest of the year. You may need to throw another blanket on the bed during that extra-chilly spell, but at least you’ll know you aren’t over-paying for a unit that’s too big!
Finding the Perfect Fit
Working with an experienced local HVAC company is a great way to ensure you’ve got a heat pump or furnace that’s working with your home setup and ductwork—not against it. The best way to get the best heating system for your home is to work with the pros. An experienced HVAC technician can help you find the right-sized unit for your space and get it installed properly so it lasts longer and stays efficient.
Not sure if your system is running at peak efficiency? Contact LCS Heating and Cooling. We’re proud to provide our neighbors with great service and honest feedback. Give us a call at 317-238-3961 to schedule your Heating Tune-Up before the holidays hit. We’ll help keep your home comfy all year long!