Kako znižati stroške HVAC za 35 %

Če imate velike težave s HVAC, to ne pomeni vedno, da potrebujete nov sistem.

Za mnoge ljudi je to lahko težko sprejeti - še posebej, če nikoli ne morejo zagotoviti sistema, da bi jim bilo udobno in so njihovi računi visoki. In ko to sporočilo pride od nas (hej, mi smo HVAC podjetje!), je pogosto veliko presenečenje.

Resnica je, da veliko težav s HVAC ni krivda vaše trenutne peči ali klimatske naprave. Do njih pride zaradi drugih stvari, ki morajo biti pravilne, da vam bo vaš sistem HVAC zagotavljal udobje:vrsta cevi in ​​kakovost namestitve, čistost sistema, ravni hladilnega sredstva in lastnosti doma.

Kul, ampak kaj ima to opraviti z znižanjem mojih stroškov HVAC za 35 %?

Odlično vprašanje! Naslov tega članka se dejansko nanaša na določeno našo stranko, ki je imela težave z delovanjem HVAC. Njen sistem ji ni zagotavljal udobja; ogrevanje in hlajenje v njeni hiši je bilo neenakomerno; in njeni računi so bili višji, kot je mislila, da bi morali biti.

Pravzaprav nam je pustila oceno v Googlu, ki jo lahko preberete tukaj.

Kakor koli že, veliko ljudi bo morda za tovrstne težave hitro okrivilo svoj sistem HVAC. Pogosti refreni vključujejo "ni dovolj močan, da bi nas ohladil" in "ta stari sistem nikoli ni deloval, kot bi moral."

Stvar je v tem, da je zelo možno, da sistem je dovolj zmogljiv, da vas hladi (ali greje) in da ga vedno je delovalo, kot bi moralo. Morda obstajajo le težave pri oblikovanju in namestitvi, ki preprečujejo, da bi sistem deloval tako dobro, kot bi lahko.

Na srečo nas je ta stranka najela, da določimo najboljšo rešitev. Sistema ni želela nujno zamenjati; želela je, da izboljšamo delovanje njenega trenutnega sistema.

Takole smo izboljšali udobje te stranke in znižali njene račune

Analizirali smo kanale in ugotovili, da ima njen sistem HVAC:

• Večje puščanje kanala
• Visok statični tlak

Puščanje v kanalu je slabo, ker bodisi ne dobite vsega klimatiziranega zraka, ki ga proizvaja vaš sistem (če pušča iz dovoda), ali pa sistem silite v ogrevanje ali hlajenje zraka, ki prihaja iz vašega prostora ali podstrešja – ne iz domov.

Prav tako lahko povzroči resne težave s kakovostjo zraka v zaprtih prostorih. Preprosto odprite vrata v svoj pajzni prostor in povohajte. To je tisto, kar dihate, ko vam pušča povratni kanal.

Slab je tudi previsok statični tlak. 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.