Help an Air Conditioner, Furnace, HVAC Unit That is Not Keeping Up

Published by Jobe Leonard of Rescheck.info and the Reschexpert blog. Jobe enjoys all things related to Rescheck reporting and the study of home energy audit softwares for creating Reschecks, Comchecks, and Manual Js.

Jobe Leonard Rescheck.info

Help an Air Conditioner, Furnace, HVAC Unit That is Not Keeping Up

Today on the Reschexpert blog we wanted to look at some basic questions that our readers have on days of extreme weather. Whether it be extreme hot in the summer or extreme cold in winter this is relevant. Your HVAC unit was designed to work in certain temperature conditions and eventually it will meet a day with a temperature range that falls outside of that range. This can cause the unit to not be able to reach the desired temperature you have chosen on the thermostat even when running for 24 hours per day.

Some things you can do to help a unit that is not keeping up:

Make sure you have window coverings. Blinds, curtains, shades, etc can all help keep the sun’s heat from heating up your structure and can keep heat in during the winter months.

Get your HVAC units checked out. They may still be under warranty. Small items within the unit like capacitors can keep the unit from running properly and cause a unit to not be able to keep up. If the unit is newer, this might be covered under some type of warranty.

Have your duct work inspected for tightness. If the ducts are leaking air during the delivery to your living space you might be losing your conditioned air into unconditioned spaces making your HVAC unit work much harder to deliver the desired temperature and humidity settings.

Are all the ducts insulated with at least R8 where it runs through unconditioned space? Attics can reach well over 100 degrees in the summer. If you un-insulated ductwork is trying to deliver 50 degree conditioned air to your living space it will result in sub par performance and your unit not being able to keep up on the hottest of days.

Have your ceiling/attic insulation inspected. Has it settled since it was installed? Was it installed to the thickness and r value recommended and without voids on the coverage? Check your Rescheck to see what R value of insulation was needed for your climate zone and then do everything in your power to meet and exceed this R value.

Get a Rescheck. A Rescheck is a report from the Department of Energy.  The Rescheck allows you to easily see if the insulation in your home meets the standards of multiple building codes and your local climate zone. The best way to have an HVAC unit keep up in extreme weather situations is to have a home that is well insulated for the environment it is built in.

Think about a Manual J. A Manual J measures the heat loss and heat gain of a structure in BTUs. This Manual J report is helpful in knowing how much energy your HVAC unit will use. The numbers calculated are based on local climate data for your jobsite so having local data will help you get more accurate results.

A Manual S is essential. A Manual S is an HVAC equipment sizing report. This report takes the data created in your Manual J and sizes your HVAC units appropriately. It also takes into account items like altitude, undersizing, oversizing, and local climate data.

Manual D may be helpful. The CFM that your HVAC unit creates need to be delivered to the rooms you want conditioned efficiently and evenly. A Manual D can help you plan out duct sizes by knowing what size material to install, how many CFM need to be in each room, and what the heat loss and heat gain are going to be in each individual area of the structure.

I wish you the best of luck with your project and hope you can find the comfort in your new home that you are looking for. If you need a Rescheck, Manual J, Manual S, or Manual D we can help. Email PDF plans, jobsite address, and square footage to service@rescheck.info and we will get you taken care of.