Each component of your home’s heating and cooling system must be expertly designed and installed in order to function well and get energy-saving results. One component of that system is the ductwork. It’s the system that distributes air to the home after the heating or cooling system conditions that air.
Several factors need to be considered in order to design and install ducts:
- The standard throughout the HVAC industry for duct design and installation is Manual D, a guide established by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA).
- Because the ductwork is responsible for delivering air, a contractor should first establish the proper heating and cooling loads for the home, or how much hot and cool air needs to be created for the home to be comfortable. This is generally done using ACCA’s Manual J.
- Once the load calculation is done, the contractor can perform a Manual D calculation to evaluate the size of equipment needed. This calculation includes the furnace blower or air handler requirements, as this component will have the power to push the air out of the system and into the ducts.
- Now, the ductwork size can be established using Manual D. Here, the contractor will establish how many registers are necessary, where they should be located, the airflow of the registers, their size, and the amount of ductwork necessary to distribute air.
- The actual size of the ducts is derived from the previous calculations, based on the blower system’s capabilities, the square footage of each room, and the airflow necessary. At this point, the size of the trunk stemming from the furnace or air handler and the design of the branches is established to correspond to each of the rooms in the home.
Ductwork leaks and poor design can contribute to significant energy losses, so make sure you have your ducts assessed when retrofitting a system, and that your contractor uses the Manual D method of design and installation for all new system installations. Contact the experts at Donald P. Dick Air Conditioningwith your ductwork questions or to schedule a consultation.
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.
Donald P Dick Air Conditioning services the greater Fresno area in California. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!