This is a sophisticated discussion, resulting in the dreaded, “it depends” and there are many factors to consider. Noise, comfort, operating costs and equipment life are important to review to make sure you are going to love your geothermal system like many homeowners. Reviewing ductwork design is not a unique attribute to geothermal systems. Air flow is also critical for traditional air conditioners, air source heat pumps and modern furnaces. Unfortunately, too many heating and cooling systems are installed with poor ductwork and homeowners have to deal with the consequences throughout the year.
Outlined below are the most important factors to consider when integrating a geothermal system into your home.
Noise
While a properly installed geothermal system is whisper quiet, air flow noise could be caused by a poor ductwork design not ready to handle the air flow needed. It is frustrating to have noise every time you need to heat or cool your home and ductwork is most often the root cause. When the ductwork is a good fit for the required air flow, hot or cool air is pushed into the home with minimal noise as the air smoothly works its way into each room. Cramming too much air through small ductwork creates “whooshing” noises because the air velocity is too high. In some cases, “rumbling” or “popping” can occur with poor ductwork installation or sizing. Make sure your geothermal installer is considering the potential for noise with your ductwork design.
Comfort
System sizing and air distribution throughout the home are the primary factors for year-round comfort. Ductwork designed with comfort in mind brings even temperature in every room and steady, cozy rooms for your family. Getting the heat and cooling to the right places at the right time brings comfort that homeowners can all appreciate. A comfort review and ductwork investigation are required for retrofits to ensure that you are going to be happy with the integration of the geothermal system in your home. For new construction, make sure your system designer is properly sizing the ductwork for every room in the home.
Equipment Life
If the ductwork attached to any air handling system is undersized for the required air flow, the blower motor is stressed and could prematurely fail, causing a “no heat” situation. Designing the air flow to match the equipment needed to keep your home comfortable and energy efficient is important for long term reliability. Sometimes, ductwork modifications are required to meet the equipment installation standards and ensure long term reliability.
Operating Cost
When your geo system can easily get the specified air flow, it is able to operate at peak efficiency and providing the absolute lowest cost to heat and cool your home. In addition, the longer equipment life and reduced service costs are long term benefits to consider. Air flow is important to make sure you are getting the maximum efficiency from your investment.
Design and Installation Quality
Protect your investment and make sure you are working with an installer who understands and appreciates the important factors to consider when reviewing your ductwork. A good installer will inspect your ductwork and use tools to determine the optimal ductwork design. Ductwork is not the place to cut corners and is an incredibly important part of how the system performs.
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