Kako smanjiti troškove HVAC-a za 35%

Ako imate velikih problema s HVAC-om, to ne znači uvijek da vam je potreban novi sustav.

Za mnoge ljude to može biti teško prihvatiti - pogotovo kada nikada ne mogu natjerati sustav da im bude ugodno, a računi su im vrtoglavo visoki. A kada ta poruka dolazi od nas (hej, mi smo HVAC tvrtka!) često dolazi kao veliko iznenađenje.

Istina je da za mnoge probleme s HVAC-om nije kriva vaša trenutna peć ili klima uređaj. Događaju se zbog drugih stvari koje moraju biti ispravne kako bi vaš HVAC sustav bio ugodan:vrsta kanala i kvaliteta instalacije, čistoća sustava, razine rashladnog sredstva i atributi doma.

Kuo, ali kakve to veze ima sa smanjenjem mojih HVAC troškova za 35%?

Super pitanje! Naslov ovog članka zapravo se odnosi na našeg specifičnog klijenta koji je imao problema s radom HVAC-a. Njezin sustav nije joj pružao udobnost; grijanje i hlađenje bilo je neravnomjerno u cijeloj njezinoj kući; a njezini su računi bili veći nego što je mislila da bi trebali biti.

Zapravo nam je ostavila recenziju na Googleu, koju možete pročitati ovdje.

U svakom slučaju, mnogi bi ljudi mogli brzo okriviti svoj HVAC sustav za ovakve probleme. Uobičajeni refreni uključuju "nije dovoljno moćan da nas ohladi" i "ovaj stari sustav nikada nije radio kako bi trebao."

Stvar je u tome što je vrlo moguće da sustav je dovoljno snažan da vas rashladi (ili zagrije) i da uvijek je radilo kao što je trebalo. Možda samo postoje neki problemi s dizajnom i instalacijom koji sprječavaju sustav da radi onako kako bi mogao.

Srećom, ovaj nas je klijent angažirao da pronađemo najbolje rješenje. Nije nužno željela zamijeniti sustav; htjela je da učinimo da njezin trenutni sustav bolje funkcionira.

Evo kako smo poboljšali udobnost ove klijentice i smanjili joj račune

Analizirali smo kanale i shvatili da njezin HVAC sustav ima:

• Veliko curenje u kanalu
• Visoki statički tlak

Propuštanje iz kanala je loše jer ili ne dobivate sav klimatizirani zrak koji vaš sustav proizvodi (ako je curenje iz dovoda) ili prisiljavate sustav da grije ili hladi zrak koji dolazi iz vašeg malog prostora ili tavana - ne iz vašeg kući.

Također može stvoriti ozbiljne probleme s kvalitetom zraka u zatvorenom prostoru. Samo otvorite vrata svog puzavog prostora i njušite. To je ono što dišete kada vam curi povratni kanal.

Pretjerani statički pritisak također je loš. When you have this problem, the system is struggling to force a large volume of air through ducts that weren't set up to handle it. It's kind of like blowing as hard as you can through a straw.

The result is that the system moves too much air to certain rooms and not enough air to other rooms. Heating and cooling is very uneven. You might feel too hot in one room and too cold in another, no matter what.

After we fixed those problems, she was happy with her HVAC system.

First, we addressed the static pressure issue by calculating how much ductwork her home should have. We then added ductwork where needed, including additional returns and modified supply ducts. This took care of the static pressure problem because now there was enough ductwork to properly distribute air throughout the home.

Then we sealed the ducts, new ones and old ones, so that she wasn't losing air to her crawlspace. We used our "test and seal" method that always reduces duct leakage to 4% or less and made absolutely sure the ducts were as tight as we could get them.

Then we cleaned everything, including the blower wheel and outdoor coil. After adjusting airflow so that the system was delivering the proper amount per ton, we charged the refrigerant to the proper level.

Five months later…

The client waited to evaluate our work after five months of Atlanta's summertime heat and humidity. Turns out, this is the first summer in the three years she'd lived in the house that she wasn't uncomfortable all the time.

And yes, she saved an average of 35% on each month's utility bills compared to the previous year.

The only other thing we'll note — and the client discloses this in her review — is that she had a maintenance contract with a different well-known Atlanta HVAC contractor before she called us. They had no idea how to solve her problems. We did.

So, are we saying that you, too, can lower your HVAC costs by 35%?

No, but you might be able to.

If you're struggling with constant discomfort indoors and your utility costs seem like they're too high, these kinds of adjustments may very well help you. That's especially true if your HVAC equipment seems to be working ok and runs like it always has.

The fact of the matter is, many (perhaps most) HVAC systems are installed with very little attention to proper sizing, room-by-room airflow requirements, or ductwork design. In short, they're installed very badly.

When that's the case — and there's not anything otherwise wrong with the equipment — adjustments like these are often the solution.

If you live in Atlanta and have a similar problem, give us a shout! We'll head over to your house and analyze the system. After that, we'll let you tell you the best course of action for improving comfort and minimizing energy costs.