How To Improve HVAC Airflow

Airflow is key to a productive and efficient HVAC system. That is, if you air is not flowing efficiently, you will basically be wasting money. No matter how energy efficient your furnace, boiler, heat pump, condenser, and/or evaporator are, your system will be wasteful if your air is not flowing properly.

Adjust Your Air Registers

The first thing you should always do if you are having airflow issues is check your air registers. Make sure they are open! This sounds obvious and a bit silly, but some people call HVAC techs only to have them show up to the house and explain that the only problem is that their air registers are not open. So, check your air registers and open them if you want airflow in that room.

Clean the Furnace Blower

Another way to maintain great airflow in your HVAC system is to make sure the furnace blower is clean. The blower is the large cylindrical fan unit inside the furnace cabinet. It is responsible for pumping air into your duct system. So, if the blower is dirty or malfunctioning for any reason at all, your airflow is going to be very weak. Luckily, you can open up the furnace and clean the blower very easily.

Some people are intimidated by this job just because you need to turn off the gas and electricity to the furnace before you work on it. However, this is actually very simple and can be done if you follow the simple instructions which should be mounted directly on your furnace. If you the instructions are not on your furnace (often a sticker on the inside of the access panel), you basically just need to be sure to turn off the gas, then turn off the electricity.

Once you have access to the furnace blower, it is very easy to clean. In most cases, you can remove any serious clogs or dust buildup within the blower using just a hose vacuum. However, you might also need to wipe down the fan blades and walls of the compartment using a wet rag. Try not to use any cleaners unless there is actually mold within your furnace.

As you can see, most airflow issues are very easy to figure out. While you want to leave electrical and gas maintenance to professionals, you can usually easily improve the airflow of your HVAC system, regardless of your experience with working on HVAC systems. For more information, contact a company like Bryant Air Conditioning, Heating, Electrical & Plumbing.


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