Poor Airflow in Your Home? These Issues Are Likely to Blame

You don't quite appreciate how much we modern-day humans rely on our HVAC systems until it gets to the middle of summer or the middle of winter. When the outside conditions in places like Arvada get pretty darn uncomfortable. We rush into our homes to seek refuge and comfort. It’s the HVAC system that provides that comfort, providing an escape from the heat in summer and providing a warm, cozy environment in the middle of winter. So when something goes wrong with the HVAC system, it’s a big problem.

One of the more common complaints we hear is “The airflow in my home is so poor – the warm/cool air just doesn’t seem to reach our living room.” As a company that has offered air duct and HVAC cleaning in the area for over 40 years, we can tell you that there are usually a few common reasons for this, which we'll outline below.

What Causes Poor Airflow in Your Ductwork?

There are two categories of problems that will reduce the airflow in your ductwork. Those that cause friction and those that cause turbulence.

Dirty HVAC Air Filters

This is an issue that we’ve talked about extensively in other posts and one that we see frequently when visiting homes to carry out HVAC and air duct cleaning in Arvada. Air filters need to be changed regularly. When they’re not changed at the required intervals (every 30 days for a fiberglass filter and every 60-90 days for a pleated filter), dirt and dust will build up on the filter, causing friction and restricting airflow. This can most definitely be either a contributing factor or the primary driver of poor airflow in a house.

That’s not the only problem that failing to change dirty air filters will have either. If you let it get to this point before you change the filter, the air quality in your home will drop significantly, as the filter will no longer be able to do its job.

Bottom line: Make sure you check in on the condition of your air filter regularly!

The Wrong Air Filter

We’re not obsessed with filters, I promise, but they are very important in the context of system airflow. Filters are graded on what they call the MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) scale, which runs from 1 to 16. The higher the rating the filter has, the smaller the pores. While this is good in that a filter with a higher rating can filter out more contaminants, if a filter with too high a rating is selected for your system, it can actually increase resistance and reduce airflow. This is not great as not only will it worsen indoor air quality in your home, but it’ll put extra pressure on HVAC system components such as the fan, which will end up wearing out much quicker.

If you would like some help in determining if your filters are the right ones for your system, our HVAC cleaning pros will be happy to advise you.

Duct Runs that are Squashed, Blocked or Haven’t Been Installed Correctly

Quite possibly one of the most obvious ways to explain poor airflow is a problem with the ductwork itself. After all, it’s responsible for distributing the hot and cool air to the various parts of your home. When air duct cleaning we run across these problems all of the time.

Ductwork has to be very carefully planned and then installed very precisely. If its shape, size or configuration is changed in any way, that will have an impact upon its ability to deliver the right amount of air.

Has your HVAC system always had issues with poor airflow? It might have been doomed from the start with poor planning. If air has to travel a heck of a long way, and the route it has to take is full of twists and turns, poor airflow is no surprise. And then if one section of the ductwork has been squashed or bent, things get even worse. This all creates more turbulence.

Blockages are a big problem too. Sometimes part of an old filter will get stuck, sometimes it’s dirt or you might even have the unfortunate issue of a pest infestation. Air duct cleaning professionals can inspect the whole length of your ducts and tell you if any of these issues is causing your poor airflow.

Your Air Ducts are Leaking

You might be shocked to learn that 9/10 HVAC systems in America have problems with leakage. That’s right, 90%! By leakage, I'm talking about small cracks, gaps and holes that let some of the air escape. The consequences of this are numerous. Your airflow is poorer, your HVAC system has to work harder to compensate (likely leading to more frequent repair and maintenance), and your energy costs are higher.

And I'm not talking about a small amount of leakage. A lot of systems lose close to 50% of the air. It never reaches its destination. This has a huge impact on the level of comfort you enjoy in your home.

Need Air Duct Cleaning in Arvada? Call Steve’s!

We’ve been in this business for over 40 years and know only too well the signs of an inefficient HVAC system. Our specialty is in providing a boost to your system’s efficiency so that you can enjoy more comfort, years of trouble-free operation and lower bills. Contact our Arvada air duct cleaning team today to learn more or to book an appointment.