PROCEDURES FOR AIR CONDITIONING, HEAT PUMP, & HEATING SYSTEM DESIGN

The goal for a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system is to provide proper air flow, heating, and cooling to each room. This page sets out key criteria that describe a quality system, and key design and installation considerations that should be met to achieve this goal. The pages following contain more detailed information on design, fabrication, installation, and performance testing.

Criteria for a Quality HVAC System

An HVAC system should:

·         Be properly sized to provide correct air flow, and meet room-by-room calculated heating and cooling loads.

·         Be installed so that the static air pressure drop across the handler is within manufacturer and design specifications to have the capacity to meet the calculated loads.

·         Have sealed supply ductwork that will provide proper air flow.

·         Be installed with a return system sized to provide correct return air flow.

·         Have sealed return ductwork that will provide proper air flow to the fan, and avoid air entering the HVAC system from polluted zones (e.g., fumes from autos and stored chemicals, and attic particulates).

·         Have balanced air flows between supply and return systems to maintain neutral pressure in the home. Or a slight positive pressure on home.

·         Minimize duct air temperature gain or loss between the air handler and room registers, and between return registers and the air handler.

·         Be properly charged with refrigerant.

·         Have proper burner operation and proper draft.