Air circulation might not be at the top of your home improvement list, but it’s an essential piece of the puzzle for a healthy, comfortable home. It impacts cooling and heating, HVAC performance, and energy consumption. Here’s how to check airflow in your home and four tips when assessing your home’s air circulation.
How to Check Airflow in Your Home
It could be an airflow problem if you have hot and cool spots in your home, if it feels too humid, or odors seem to linger. The good news is there is a simple strategy to check the airflow. Take a garbage bag and tape it over a bent wire hanger or a ring of cardboard so the hanger or cardboard creates a frame to hold the bag open. Next, place it over your vent or HVAC register and see how long it takes for the bag to fill when the system kicks on. If it takes more than a few seconds to fill, you might have airflow issues.
Tips When Assessing Your Home’s Air Circulation
The garbage bag test is a simple way to assess the circulation in your home. If you find that the air is not blowing out effectively or efficiently, there are some tips you can try to improve it.
- Check your air filter – if the air filter is dirty or clogged, it will affect how effectively the HVAC system is working to move air in your home.
- Ensure the vents and registers are open throughout your home. Closing vents in some rooms but not others can impact circulation and the balance created by the pull and push of air through the system.
- Move furniture around so it doesn’t block any of your HVAC vents. Blocked vents will decrease proper circulation.
- Contact an HVAC company for a professional assessment of your home’s circulation.
For a more comfortable and energy-efficient home, be sure your HVAC system runs as it should and provides effective circulation. Contact H.H. Hovey Heating and Cooling today to schedule an appointment for an air circulation evaluation.
