They Check Your Blood Pressure Every Time You Go To the Doctor, Don’t They?
The truth is that the medical profession has used the simple act of checking a person’s blood pressure to tell an awful lot about that person. The results of this basic test serve as a reliable indicator upon which the doctor can make his/her decisions for recommendations and remedies. People with high blood pressure are instructed in ways to help lower that pressure in order to allow the heart to perform better while working easier.
Luckily, people much smarter than me have learned to adapt this system to the HVAC industry. If you’re thinking your system doesn’t have blood, or for that matter, a heart, just hear me out. You see, we can actually take your duct system’s blood pressure.
Think of it this way. Your equipment is the heart of your comfort system, and the ductwork is its veins and arteries. When the blower turns on to move the air, it acts as the heart pumping air through your system’s veins.
Using the correctly calibrated tools along with the proper formulas, our technicians can check your duct’s ‘blood pressure’ performing a test done during routine maintenance and service or as a measure implemented when helping to improve comfort issues or while replacing equipment. The higher the pressure in the ductwork, the harder the blower motor and other components need to work. The harder they work, the shorter they’ll last, the worse they’ll perform and the less comfortable you will be. Additionally, you will incur heftier utility charges trying to compensate for poor performance.
The pressure in your system should not be higher or lower than the manufacturer’s specified parameters. You see, manufacturers of air moving equipment have a very specific static pressure they want their equipment subjected to. They know that exceeding this pressure will affect how well their systems work or how much shorten the life span of it will be.
This information is not limited to those of you with a conventional forced air system. Using the same principles and the right software, tests have been adapted to help with hydronic systems. The same principles apply, only the testing and configuration changes. On the hydronics side, boilers use pumps to force water through a series of piping to deliver heat or hot water to certain areas. The more pressure in these pipes, the harder the pumps and boilers have to work. Again, the harder they work, the worse they perform.
Improperly pumped and piped systems have a continual uphill battle trying to deliver hot water where it is needed. This leads to radiators that never seem to work right, or areas of floor heating that never seem to do what they were intended to.
With proper diagnostics available, technicians can make better recommendations for improved performance. Improvements can be something as simple as adding ductwork to relieve pressure thus increasing airflow, or reconfiguring pumping and piping configurations. The diagnostics are also essential when determining the right replacement equipment – a new system that not only matches the load on the space but also corresponds to the right duct or piping delivery system.
So, why am I telling you this and why should you care?
Simple. We have been performing this ‘blood pressure’ test for years along with the other top contractors in the industry. By using these tests we have been able to save clients hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars. We have the ability to provide clients with the right information so they can make modifications without having to change out equipment to get to the end goal; which is INCREASED COMFORT, EASIER EQUIPMENT OPERATION, AND MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET.
In some cases we are able to change blower speeds or make simple adjustments to offer these results. In others, we actually have to make duct modifications to achieve optimum success. But an investment in this area will not only improve comfort and ease pressure, it will also directly and immediately impact your monthly utility costs. Every percent increase in efficient air movement is a direct decrease in gas, electric or water expenses. In most cases, financial outlay to make improvements, replacement or corrections to your forced air or hydronic system will be offset by the money you save month to month.
The best part is that we perform static pressure tests during the course of all maintenance and service calls which show potential of high static pressure WITHOUT CHARGING YOU EXTRA FOR THIS VALUABLE INFORMATION. We use the information to help our clients make the most informed decision possible. You are free to live with the system you have and its’ current performance, or take the opportunity to help relieve the pressure.
For those of you who have not signed up for maintenance, would like to learn about the costs or steps involved – simply log on and check it out. We now offer monthly payment plans if that’s your preference.