The main systems in the bay area are forced air ducted and radiant systems with the majority being forced air. The main issues that we find in these existing systems are the following
Inefficient
- This is due to duct leakage (normally 30%)
- Poor duct insulation
- Improperly sized ducts
- Oversized heating equipment (Oversized equipment heats the house up too fast and the system cycels on and off too often)
- Inefficient equipment
- Improperly installed ducts and equipment
Uncomfortable
- Hot and cold rooms (mainly due to oversized equipment and an unbalanced improlery sized duct system)
- Whole house discomfort (Oversized equipment heats the house up too fast and the system cycels on and off too often)
Unhealthy air
- Duct leakage (return air duct leakage pulls air in from it’s location (normally the attic or crawlspace) and delivers in to the house
- Poor filtration (duct system not designed for high filtration filters)
- Pressure issues (the system is unbalanced and causes air to be pulled in from the attic and crawlspace
- Building leakage from the crawlspace and the attic
A forced air central heating system should be
Comfortable
- Even temperature throughout the home – within 2-3 degrees from floor to ceiling and room to room)
- You shouldn’t be hit directly with any air. The air should be distributed so in a way that does this and properly mixes.
Efficient
- With a properly sized system and ducts your heating bills will be greatly reduced.
Healthy
- With almost a 0% duct leakage you don’t get the bad air coming into your system
- High filtration filters can be installed on a properly sized system
Quiet
- Your heating system should be virtually silent. You shouldn’t hear your system running or hear the air coming out or into your duct grilles.
We specialize in solving HVAC problems like the ones listed above and installing new equipment and duct systems.
The majority of existing heating equipment is oversized for the needs of a newly sealed and insulated home. Oversized equipment increases energy usage due to constant on and off cycling. Constant cycling also leads to hot and cold spots in the house.
All new equipment we install is sized to fit each house using ACCA Manual J load calculations. This uses a homes size, insulation levels, air infiltration rates and window performance to determine the proper equipment size. The systems are designed to provide the right amount of air to create a comfortable, even temperature throughout your home while keeping energy costs to a minimum.
We specialize in combined hydronic air handlers, furnaces and radiant floor heating systems. We have been installing these systems with great success in the bay area since 1997.
