Balance is the Key to Comfort and Energy Savings
If you own a home that is equipped with central heating and air conditioning, then you know that when the system turns on, your entire home is being serviced all at once. This is a convenient way for you to maintain a comfort level within your home. You set the thermostat once and the system kicks in when it needs to and it stops running when the desired temperature is reached.
The down side to this approach which is used in 99.9% percent of the homes in the US is that the temperature is measured in one and only one location…the location of the thermostat. If you lived your entire life standing in front of the thermostat then you would be experiencing perfection in home air conditioning. But of course that it not how we live our lives. We move from room to room and turn on appliances that generate heat, and then there are rooms that are unoccupied for the most part. The contractors that built the homes and installed the air conditioning systems do their best during construction to route the ducts in the most efficient manner for the anticipated use of each of the rooms, but that is a ‘best guess’ approach at best since each family has their own dynamics and habits.
The best way to get the most out of your system without incurring additional cost is to BALANCE it using the dampers. Dampers are the individual covers over each of the duct openings into your rooms. Some homes have them in the ceilings, some are in the floor, and in a few rare occasions in the walls. Dampers come in all shapes and designs, but the one thing that they all have in common is the ability to open and close the vents to varying degrees.
You do not have to be an HVAC professional to properly adjust the dampers within your to to gain energy efficiencies. All it takes is a little common sense. If a room is not being utilized regularly within your home, then close the damper for that room. For rooms that are used more often than not, open them wide. You can easily calculate the effect that this will have on your overall cooling costs too. Before making any adjustments, have a watch with a second hand available and when your air conditioner cuts off, start timing how long it takes before it turns on again. Now go ahead and adjust your dampers. Now time the cycle again. You should find that it takes LONGER between cycles after the adjustments which means you are now saving on cooling dollars!
Sample In-Line Damper
You can also take this concept to the next level with some help. An HVAC professional can measure output at each vent location and install in-line dampers that will more efficiently control the air flow to each location. In-line dampers are more efficient than the vent cover dampers. They control air flow closer to the source which means less energy loss in the ducts themselves, plus the in-line dampers can achieve 100% shut-off to a vent which is usually not possible with the vent dampers…and it eliminates the noise you get when vent dampers are closed.
Filed Under Central Air Conditioners, Heating Solutions | Leave a Comment
Tagged With ac damper, air conditioner damper, air conditioner zoning, air conditioning damper, central air conditioner damper, home air conditioning, zoning air conditioning
Comments
Leave a Reply