How Your Home's Renovation May Affect Your HVAC System

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If you are planning a major renovation to your house, then you should be aware of the effect the project may have on the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning system). Here are some of those effects.

Debris Complications

A typical renovation project, such as roof replacement, kicks up considerable dust and dirt. Some of the debris may end up in different parts of the HVAC system and cause problems. For example:

• The debris may clog the filters, causing the HVAC to overwork, become inefficient or even experience constant breakdowns
• The debris may clog the air vents, registers, and ductworks, reducing airflow
• The debris may be circulated throughout your house, causing respiratory problems for your household

Increased Square Footage

If the renovation creates additional square footage, then your HVAC will have to heat and cool these additional areas too. This would be unfortunate if the HVAC was designed for the pre-renovation square footage, and the following complications may arise:

• You may experience uneven heating and cooling; some parts of your house may be cooler than others
• The HVAC will be overworking because it will have to run longer than normal because of the additional square footage; this leads to increased energy bills
• The HVAC may experience constant breakdowns and overheating due to the overworking

Vents and Registers Placement

HVAC vents and registers have placement rules to ensure they do their work efficiently. For example, supply and return vents shouldn't be too close to each other; doing that would not give the air time to circulate the room before getting sent back to the HVAC. Careless addition of walls may also block off some of the registers and render them infective.

Thermostat Location

Lastly, the renovation may also affect your HVAC's operations if it affects the location of the thermostat. Ideally, a thermostat should be placed away from drafts, heated air or cool air. It should also be placed in an interior wall where it has the chance to read the true temperature of the house. Therefore, if you known down a wall, introduce a window neat the thermostat or install a skylight above it, you will interfere with its temperature reading, which will affect the efficiency of your HVAC system.

For this reason, it's advisable to consult an HVAC technician and seek their advice on how to protect your HVAC. Of course, your HVAC system can still be salvaged in case you went ahead with the renovation without protecting it; consult a technician for a solution. For more information, contact your local air conditioning repair service. 

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24 June 2018