We all want to Live Longer and Get Rich – The concepts are admirable – and, believe it or not, your builder can help you achieve these goals. But if your home sucks – it could be more difficult than you think. Keep reading and learn more about how air balance in your home can save you money and help make you healthy.
Smart builders understand building science and they know how houses work. During construction and on your behalf they implement design elements into the home that support saving money and health.
A properly designed and built home can help you by maintaining a healthy living environment through sustained indoor air quality and can help you save money by controlling humidity (moisture) and air borne contaminants – which makes you healthier.
Looking Deeper – The main byproduct of controlling humidity is comfort. We all love to be comfortable. Controlling humidity can also:
- help you control mold and mildew
- lower your power bill, since the heating and cooling system is such a large contributor to energy consumption
- lower equipment maintenance
In warmer months if the system isn’t constantly running and having to constantly remove humidity – your operating cost goes down. That makes you happy!
The main byproduct of managing indoor air quality, obviously, is the fact that you tend to be healthier. Being healthier leads to longevity.
Good design and a little help from regular maintenance also makes your equipment live longer. A properly designed home “encourages” you to maintain it…and that makes you rich because you aren’t repairing and purchasing new equipment as often…and that also makes you happy!
The Takeaway
As a rule of thumb, if your room, called the “pressure zone”, has more than 1 ceiling register (the duct where the air blows from the ceiling) and you don’t have at least one return (a return air register) in that room…you should speak with the contractor and ask about the system design.
In the image to the right the registers that push or pull air are shown:
- A – is a ceiling return, it usually includes a filter and is needed to help the system function properly.
- B – is a sidewall return, it allows air to move from room to room and it usually doesn’t include a filter.
Watch this video and see how air can be drawn into the home. When all the bedroom doors are closed and no return air path is included in the air flow design – – the home sucks, literally!
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