If you are having a new HVAC system installed in your home, you will want to be sure that your contractor includes sizing ducts in the process.

• Without properly sized ducts, you could compromise your return on investment.

Without adequate air flow and well designed ducts that match your system, you could end up with significantly reduced home comfort and much higher operating costs. The industry standard for sizing ducts is called Manual D, a method developed by the Air conditioning Contractors of America and used across the HVAC industry. A Manual D method includes evaluating air flow needs, controlling noise factors, retrofitting the ducts design if necessary, sealing the system, and insulating where necessary. Each room in your home requires a different amount of air flow, and a sizing calculation will ensure that the duct’s design and materials can meet that need. When air moves through ducts, it can be noisy. Making adjustments to the ducts can help to reduce noise, often by switching out ducts in lieu of more favorable, noise reducing duct materials. With the right design, materials, and air flow, your contractor will ensure that your ductwork system delivers in terms of comfort and energy savings. Leaks can account for significant energy losses, so sealing ducts will help to enhance efficiency. Ducts can also lose energy when portions of the system are installed in unconditioned areas of your home, like an attic. In these cases, ducts should be insulated to reduce losses from conduction. Sizing ducts will also take into account the type of cooling system your home uses. Heat pumps produce a consistent, even air flow, and they often require larger ducts than a forced air system does. Forced air central air conditioners operate differently, producing short but strong blasts of cooled air. If you are upgrading your existing A/C to a more efficient one, you may be able to install a smaller sized system. In both cases, sizing the ducts will ensure that they can handle the air flow and capacity of the newly installed system.

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