How Airflow Works Inside Your Home

When people hear the term HVAC, they tend to think about the furnace and air conditioner. These are two vital pieces of the HVAC system, but without the “V” – ventilation – your home wouldn’t stay comfortable throughout the year.

Your ventilation system controls airflow. But airflow is more than just circulating air throughout the ductwork, throughout the vents and registers, and out into your rooms. It’s also about indoor air quality.

The way air moves through your house controls more than comfort. It also controls how smells circulate, and how the air feels. Ever noticed you’re hot and stick in some rooms no matter what you do? It could be an airflow issue.

Let’s talk about ventilation.

An HVAC system is set up to take in fresh outside air and replace it with stale or polluted indoor air. Depending on what type of system you have determines how this process works. Some HVAC systems may use fans to control intake and output. Others are designed to naturally pull in air through things like vents, chimneys, or even your windows, as needed.

While some of this is planned, other parts aren’t. If a leak around your window or door is allowing air to flow in, it’s called infiltration. This reduces the efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling process, and can impact everything from your comfort level to your monthly utility bill.

Another component of airflow is distribution. This is how easily the airflow circulates throughout your home. Most HVAC systems here in Colorado work through a duct system, distributing heated and cooled air through a series of supply and return vents.

Once your HVAC system properly heats or cools the air supply, it blows the conditioned air throughout the ductwork and into each room serviced by a vent. It then exits the room through a return register that sucks the air back into the vent, where it can be properly transported back through the system again.

Shutting off any part of the system, any vent or register in your home to try and control the airflow, will ultimately do more harm than good. Your HVAC system is designed as a controlled system, properly fitted and airtight against outside influences. It keeps even pressure throughout the system, so it can create a perfect warming and cooling action throughout your home.

If you’re having trouble controlling comfort level in any room in your home, it might be an airflow issue. Our technicians are trained to look at all aspects of your HVAC system, and make adjustments to ensure your home is as comfortable and efficient as possible.