Now Certified to Design Ductwork & Furnaces/Heat Pump Systems

Forced air systems and the duct work required to move that air are complex systems. They require a great deal of calculation to size correctly so that they operate properly and efficiently. If a duct run isn't sized correctly you can have a room which doesn't get enough cooling or heating. Or the register can be overly noisy because the air is moving through it way too fast. And that can also lead to uncomfortable draftiness.

While I am not going to start installing or supplying these systems, I felt it was pretty important to learn more about them so that the home can be designed with ductwork in mind. While I have always tried to plan for mechanical chases in general, it was great to learn the inticacies required to give the HVAC trades a reasonable chance to do their work efficiently and effectively. They have to work with what they are given. Often times the way a home is framed or how it is layed out makes it impossible for them to follow best practices and so compromises are made and comfort and efficiency suffer for it.

By designing the ductwork while the home itself is being designed, maximum efficency and comfort can be planned for instead of hoped for.