New HVAC Installation: Is Your Installer Taking Shortcuts?

HVAC installations are serious business. How do you know that your Bay Area installer is not taking any shortcuts? It’s vital to the longevity of your air conditioner’s longevity and efficiency that the highest standards be maintained during installation. These are a few things HVAC installers bypass during installation.

1. Not Sizing the Ductwork Properly

Most air conditioning companies fail to calculate the air volume needs of each room when having the ductwork replaced. In fact, most inexperienced contractors don’t know how to calculate it. Instead, technicians rip out the old ductwork and replace with an identical sized or a standard sized ductwork.

The problem with this method is that it doesn’t take into account the amount of air volume required in a particular room. This means that some rooms won't be as comfortable even when the unit is working at peak efficiency.

2. Lack of Safety Systems for Detecting Water Leaks

Air conditioning systems produce condensation while running, which can be as high as 3 – 5 gallons in a day. The safe and smart thing for an installation technician to do is install safety devices which will shut down the AC system automatically in case the water gets backed up in condensation lines. There should also be a secondary drain pan in the new AC system for helping prevent damage in case of a leak. Without such systems in place, leaks can go undetected for a long time.

3. Failure to Replace the Line Set

Most homeowners are not aware of the purpose of a line set. Most installation companies count on homeowners not knowing what a line set is. They figure that if you don’t what a line set is, you probably won't notice that it is not replaced. Line set is the copper tubing that connects the inside system with the outdoor unit in split air conditioners.

The copper tubing is responsible for carrying the refrigerant between the two parts of the system. These lines usually run in places which are not easily accessible. In addition, copper is expensive. Hence, most companies don’t replace the line set. Furthermore, they do charge for it.

4. Not Installing Plenum Sheet Metal Transitions

Plenum refers to a box through which cooled air gets pushed through the ductwork. It is vital for the transition between the plenum and ductwork to be created with sheet metal. This is necessary in cases where the old ductwork is being used. The connection needs to be carried out by technicians that know exactly what they are doing.

Majority of companies don’t know what they are doing in terms of sheet metal. Cooled air will start escaping if the fabricating is not performed with precision. This is even before the cooled air has a chance of entering the ductwork.

5. Air Return is Too Small

Another shortcut that installation companies take is not bothering to calculate the how big of an Air Return is necessary for the AC system to create an ideal air flow. A majority of Air Returns are too small for household needs. This can create a massive air flow problem. Systems with small Air Return work less efficiently. Most companies don’t have the necessary knowledge for taking precise measurements and calculating the size of an air handler.