Ducts that circulate hot air into unheated spaces can be a major contributor to your heating and cooling bills, but you can reduce the cost by sealing and insulating them. Insulating ducts in unconditioned areas is often a very cost-effective solution. Many people think that high-efficiency filters, such as the MERV 13, can reduce airflow due to large pressure drops.
This is true if the filters are faulty or undersized
.For more information, check out my article on filter sizing tips. When planning the supply grids, use the roof first. If you blow air out of a tall side vent just below the ceiling, you'll get extra help moving air around the room compared to blowing air out into an open space. The elbows in the first photo look great. Do you need to worry that the seam putty will weaken over time due to temperature changes? I have some putty seams that seem to have opened up a bit over time (more than 10 years).
The solution proposed by the jury was to keep the ring road in place, but leave open the gate of the smallest of the three areas (finished attic). The bypass duct ends in the return duct of this particular area, so that the air that moves through it experiences at least some mixing. In summer, this means that heat builds up and stagnates in a room, causing the air conditioner to use more energy to cool it. On the other hand, in winter, your energy goes to heating a part of the house that no one uses, such as the attic. To save on heating and cooling costs, you should make sure hot air is moving.
No matter what season it is, a ceiling fan or simply a portable plug-in fan will help distribute hot air. If you have problems with air quality in your home, such as excess pet hair, dust, or allergen irritants, you may be able to fix it by switching to a filter with a higher MERV rating. All filters have a MERV rating between 1 and 20, and the higher the rating, the more (and smaller) particles they will capture. However, higher MERV filters can force your HVAC fan to work harder to circulate air around your house, which can have a negative impact on energy efficiency and system wear. For many homeowners though, it's worth paying for clean indoor air.
