Installing either manual or automated HVAC dampers in your Whittier, CA home will greatly increase both the flexibility and the adaptability of your entire HVAC system. Dampers are excellent additions for homeowners who’ve grown tired of paying money to heat or cool entire buildings. Strategic dampening systems are the foundation of zoned central HVAC. Best of all, they aren’t all that costly or difficult to install. Keep reading to discover what HVAC dampers are, what they do, and how they can benefit you.
Dampers vs. HVAC Air Vents
You may have tried closing off HVAC air vents throughout your home to prevent conditioned air from entering areas where it wasn’t wanted or needed. Even though closed vents provide short-term relief in this respect, they can actually harm your HVAC equipment and diminish comfort throughout your entire home. Closing vents causes substantial increases in air pressure throughout HVAC ducting. Heating and cooling systems have to work harder to move air, and home energy bills start to rise.
HVAC dampers allow homeowners to get the results they want without increasing their energy use or damaging their heating and cooling equipment. Dampers effectively section off HVAC ducts so that individual rooms or zones can be serviced independently. When HVAC dampers are closed, they prevent air from flowing into select areas. Opening them back up again instantly restores airflow when needed.
Manual and Automated Dampening Systems
Manual HVAC dampers are opened and closed by homeowners themselves. Just as you can use a small lever to close or open an HVAC air vent, manual HVAC dampers are opened and closed by moving accessible levers as well. The major difference between manual HVAC dampers and HVAC air vents is that you can open and close dampers without negatively affecting the efficiency and overall functionality of your HVAC system.
Automated HVAC dampers don’t need to be manually adjusted. These dampers are connected to sensor-filled control boxes that track temperatures in individual zones. When thermostats in zones that have yet to reach the preferred temperatures send out “calling” signals, the related dampers automatically open to let conditioned air flow in. When the established temperatures have been reached in these areas, “satisfied” signals will tell them to close. Control boxes in zoned central heating and cooling systems expertly coordinate the opening and closing of HVAC dampers throughout the air ducts.
The Benefits of Automated HVAC Dampers
If you have a large home, a large household, or a number of residents that have vastly different heating and cooling needs, operating manual dampers can be a pain. It’s easy for homeowners to forget that they’ve left dampers opened or closed and challenging to orchestrate damper movements for optimum levels of comfort and efficiency. As such, manual dampening tends to work best in modest-sized homes and in households with fairly static requirements for heating and cooling.
It’s additionally important to note that manual HVAC dampers introduce the potential for many human errors. For instance, if a manual damper is left only partially opened or only partially closed, conditioned air won’t be fully blocked, or it may not flow freely. Automated dampening systems completely seal HVAC dampers shut when airflow isn’t wanted, and open HVAC dampers wide when it is.
How Dampening Systems Get the Job Done Without Increasing Air Pressure in Ducts
When HVAC dampers are installed, one of the primary goals of HVAC technicians is to prevent air pressure issues. When heating and cooling systems are on, blocking airflow will invariably lead to a rise in air pressure within the ductwork. In some homes, this means replacing small sections of the existing ductwork with oversize ducts. Large air ducts give excess air more room to move in so that heating and cooling equipment isn’t subjected to unnecessary stress. In other instances, bypass HVAC dampers are installed instead. Bypass HVAC dampers are connected to bypass ducts. Excess air pressure forces bypass dampers open so that excess air can escape through the connected ducting. Bypass dampers can be triggered open by a significant increase in air pressure, or they can be seamlessly controlled by the same sensors that govern the movements of all other automated dampers throughout the system.
Why Choose to Have HVAC Dampers Installed?
Putting HVAC dampers in is a great way to cut your energy use without sacrificing your comfort. You can continue setting the thermostat at your preferred temperature even as you reduce your carbon footprint. With dampers, you don’t have to pay to heat or cool rooms that no one is actively using. You can also create custom temperatures in different areas of the building.
With the ability to choose between manual and automated HVAC dampening systems, you can also find an HVAC zoning solution that fits your budget. Manual dampers are low in cost, easy to use, and effective for safely blocking the flow of unwanted air into select rooms. Automated HVAC dampers do the work for you. These systems make it easy to save money, reduce your home energy use, and cut your overhead costs.
Add Value and Marketability to Your Whittier Home
Adding HVAC dampers to your central HVAC system is a great way to boost the value and marketability of your home. If you intend to sell your property within the next several years, this is a feature that will make it more appealing to prospective buyers. As consumers are increasingly looking for ways to cut their carbon footprints and improve their home comfort, HVAC dampers for zoned heating and cooling become even more attractive.
At [company_name], we work hard to help residents of Whittier and the surrounding areas make informed decisions about their HVAC systems. Our HVAC zoning services can give you the power to selectively control temperatures in different areas of your living environment. We also provide water heater, drain cleaning, sewer repair, and water filtration services. Call us today to schedule an appointment.