Each part of your HVAC system has a role to play in heating or cooling your home. By learning about the process, you can develop a greater understanding of why even simple maintenance tasks, such as changing the air filter, are important. Here's how HVAC system components coordinate to create a comfortable indoor climate.
The Ventilation Cycle
Airflow is as important to the function of heating and cooling systems as breathing oxygen is for your health.Return air ducts draw old air from your home and move it to heating or cooling component of the system. Supply ducts, on the other hand, are the delivery network for the newly filtered and conditioned air into the home’s interior. Both return and supply ducts help keep your air fresher and the temperature comfortable.Ventilation problems can affect the other HVAC system components as well as your comfort. Examples include:
Dirty ductwork — dust accumulation in ductwork results in poor air quality and dust inside other HVAC components.
Clogged air filter — This restricts air from flowing as it should to the heart of the HVAC system. Problems caused by clogged filters can include frozen evaporator coils, an overheated blower fan, furnace shut down, and dirty ductwork.
Inadequate ductwork— ductwork that is damaged, too large or too small will perform its role poorly and reduce the HVAC system’s efficiency.
Heating and Cooling
Your furnace performs its function by heating air flowing through its heat exchanger. If all goes well, there is sufficient airflow, and all burners, heating elements and blower fan are working well, this heated air will be pushed into supply ducts. If your ductwork is in good shape, most of the heat will remain in the air during its journey between the furnace and your registers.A similar process occurs when you use your air conditioning. Air is pushed through components in the air conditioner where it is cooled. If all goes as it should, this cooled air then flows into your home through ductwork.
To learn more about HVAC system components, please contact us at Air Assurance.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Ioannis Pantzi/Shutterstock”