Kinovate Heating, Cooling and Indoor Air Quality
The Rock River Valley's Premier HVAC Contractor
THERMOSTATS
- Programmable
- Non-Programmable
- Wireless
- Indoor Air Quality
- Communicating
- Zoning
- Internet Compatible
ZONED SYSTEMS
Zoning your HVAC system can help save energy as well as make your home more comfortable. Multiple HVAC units, each serving a different area or floor are not zoned; they are completely independent systems. Zoning is where dampers are used to direct heating and cooling from a single HVAC system to more than one area, as needed. A two-zone system will have (most likely) two dampers, each one controlling the airflow to a zone (which can be multiple registers.) The zone control system will control the dampers and HVAC system to heat and cool each zone.
How do HVAC zone controllers work?
They are actually pretty simple. The standard HVAC system has a single thermostat controlling a single HVAC system. A zone controller simply connects multiple thermostats to a single HVAC system. The zone controller itself is a small box that mounts back in the HVAC closet. It has one connection for each zone (which goes to a thermostat located in the zone), it has a connection for the HVAC system, and it has a connection for each damper.
For more information on Zoned Systems, contact a Kinovate Heating, Cooling and Indoor Air Quality Specialist!
BLOWER DOOR TESTING
A blower door test helps determine a home's airtightness.
These are some reasons for establishing the proper building tightness:
- Reducing energy consumption due to air leakage
- Avoiding moisture condensation problems
- Avoiding uncomfortable drafts caused by cold air leaking in from the outdoors
- Making sure that the home's air quality is not too contaminated by indoor air pollution.
How They Work...
A blower door is a powerful fan that mounts into the frame of an exterior door. The fan pulls air out of the house, lowering the air pressure inside. The higher outside air pressure then flows in through all unsealed cracks and openings. A smoke pencil to detect air leaks may be used. These tests determine the air infiltration rate of a building.
Blower doors consist of a frame and flexible panel that fit in a doorway, a variable-speed fan, a pressure gauge to measure the pressure differences inside and outside the home, and an airflow manometer and hoses for measuring airflow.
For more information on Blower Door Testing, contact a Kinovate Heating, Cooling and Indoor Air Quality Specialist!
SOLAR ATTIC FANS
Solar Attic Fans reduce heat build-up in your attic and can minimize the load on your HVAC system. Available for all roof types, solar attic fans install easily with no electrical wiring or structural changes and blend seamlessly into your roof line.
DUCT SEALING & TESTING
In houses with forced-air heating and cooling systems, ducts are used to distribute conditioned air throughout the house. In a typical house, however, about 20 percent of the air that moves through the duct system is lost due to leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts. The result is higher utility bills and difficulty keeping the house comfortable, no matter how the thermostat is set.
How do you know that your home has poorly performing ducts?
- you have high summer and winter utility bills;
- you have rooms that are difficult to heat and cool;
- you have stuffy rooms that never seem to feel comfortable;
- your ducts are located in an attic, crawlspace, or the garage;
- you find tangled or kinked flexible ducts in your system.
Benefits of Duct Sealing
A duct system that is well-designed and properly sealed can make your home more comfortable, energy efficient, and safer.
Comfort
Sealing and insulating ducts can help with common comfort problems, such as rooms that are too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.
Indoor Air Quality
Fumes from household and garden chemicals, insulation particles, and dust can enter your duct system, aggravating asthma and allergy problems. Sealing ducts can help improve indoor air quality by reducing the risk of pollutants entering ducts and circulating through your home.
Safety
During normal operation, gas appliances such as water heaters, clothes dryers, and furnaces release combustion gases (like carbon monoxide) through their ventilation systems. Leaky ductwork in your heating and cooling system may cause “backdrafting,” where these gases are drawn back into the living space, rather than expelled to the outdoors. Sealing leaks can minimize this risk.
Save Money
Leaky ducts can reduce heating and cooling system efficiency by as much as 20 percent. Sealing and insulating ducts increases efficiency, lowers your energy bills, and can often pay for itself in energy savings. Plus, if you’re planning to install new heating and cooling equipment, a well-designed and sealed duct system may allow you to downsize to a smaller, less costly heating and cooling system that will provide better dehumidification.
Protect the Environment
Energy used in our homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and global warming. Simply put, the less energy we use in our homes, the less air pollution we generate. By sealing your ducts and reducing the amount of energy necessary to comfortably heat or cool your home, you can reduce the amount of air pollution generated.
For more information on Duct Sealing & Testing, contact a Kinovate Heating, Cooling and Indoor Air Quality Specialist!
Ewww! Dirty Ducts? Click Here for more information on Duct inspections and Cleanings!
What’s the quality of your indoor air? Find out here!
Kinovate Heating, Cooling and Indoor Air Quality has solutions that can help you. Contact us to find out which Whole Home product or service is best for your family and your home.