A heating system, even a brand new system, is only as good as the installation allows it to be.  It’s not just the initial installation, but also the balancing of the space that will ensure that a residential property owner gets the very best from the system.  That is to say that the ductwork must be adjusted, the motor speed settings must be tweaked, and the air flow to individual rooms must be fine-tuned to maximize the efficiency of the system.

An improperly adjusted HVAC system can cause comfort issues for the end users, along with wasted energy.  And, that means that it will ultimately cost the homeowner more to live and operate the HVAC systems.

There are many steps that go into a proper system balancing, but one quick method that can be used to check on supply fan operation is to measure the static pressure of the duct work.  This is particularly important for the supply duct.  The pressure static measurements can be taken at approximately twelve inches above the air handling unit.

In order to make this process easy, the AHRI Standard 210/240 provides static pressures expected from the equipment. The static pressure requirements are based on the size of the cooling capabilities of the unit. Therefore, it is important that the unit’s nameplate data be examined and understood before attempting to measure the static pressure.

There are numerous pressure sensing devices offered, but for the most affordable and accurate can be purchased from the SRP control systems group, which offers the best devices for this application.  Once the static pressure in the duct work is obtained, further analysis of air flow in the supply/return duct work can be better understood, and this allows for proper balancing of the system, which ultimately means energy savings for the homeowner.