When people consider indoor air quality solutions, they frequently focus on filtration and efficiency. However, air balancing can be an important part of the equation. Balancing is the process of evenly distributing airflow in an HVAC system throughout an entire building. Here is a look at how air balancing influences indoor air quality.
One way to think about the airflow in your house is to compare it to a running stream of water in nature. The cleanest water in a stream tends to be wherever the flow is the steadiest. Likewise, the dirtiest water in a stream tends to be where the water isn’t flowing well, leading to stagnant water that collects muck.
The same thing happens with the airflow in a house or commercial building. Suppose you have a storage closet in your home that doesn’t have any air vents; there is a pretty good chance that if you haven’t opened the door to that closet in a while, it’ll have a musty smell. The same problem happens with basements, attics and spare rooms.
What is happening? Fresh air isn’t regularly circulating into those rooms. Consequently, things like dust, dander, pollen and other irritants are collecting.
Air balancing prevents these pockets. By producing an even flow of fresh outside air through the HVAC filter, a well-balanced system keeps cycling cleaner air to all connected parts of the house. It also reduces zones of poor air quality by ensuring that all of the rooms have similar quality levels, minimizing those moments of surprise sneezing when you go into a particular room.
A home energy audit isn’t something you can do yourself. It requires specialized training and tools that only a certified energy advisor or energy auditor possess. It’s important to note that the certification held by your home energy auditor is very important. It may affect your ability to qualify for certain rebates and tax credits associated with your energy-efficiency upgrades. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognizes certifications from the following entities:
High indoor humidity levels will encourage mold growth. Mold is easily one of the worst irritants when it comes to indoor air quality. Anything you can do to keep mold levels down is a win.
Balancing the air in a house ensures that the humidity level will be even in every room. A well-designed system should even address humidity levels in places like basements, storage closets and attics. With a good air balance, you can give mold nowhere to grow.
Generally, a well-balanced air system in a house should extend the service lifespan of the HVAC components. How does that affect air quality? A system that’s aging and performing poorly is going to introduce air quality problems. If the fans in the ducts are running more often to keep up with an unbalanced system, then the fans will slowly fail. That undermines their lifetime performance, leading to worse airflow. Getting the balance right at the start of a system’s service life gives it a better shot of running well the whole time, providing better air for more years.
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