Are There Ghosts In Your Ducts?
Halloween is behind us, but you hear sounds in your home. Are there ghosts in your ducts? Let’s look at the most common duct-related ghosts you have in your home.
Mysterious closing doors:
- No ghost story is complete with the mention of doors closing on their own. Due to the layout of many home’s HVAC systems, this is a very real haunt that many customers deal with regularly. A fan and not a supernatural occurrence often cause it. The most common place is the central return in the home. Airflow is out of balance and out of control, setting the stage for “airflow competition.” Central returns combined with interior door closure can cause marginally open doors to shut when the air handler turns on.
Wailing registers:
- Poorly selected grilles and registers can cause excessive velocities at the face of the grille or register. As air passes through the vanes, a wail is produced due to the speed of the air. For many customers, their response can range from feeling annoyed to feeling on the brink of insanity. Pay attention to the desired airflow and make sure it’s within acceptable velocity limits to keep wailing sound from occurring.
Banging ducts:
- Loud, unexpected noises are the foundation of any good ghost story. When a duct system is subjected to certain conditions, the noises it makes as it turns on can be startling. Excessive static pressure can cause movement in metal ducts as the fan in the air handler is trying to move air. Also when the air filter is new, there is more pressure on the return side causing the ducts to bang each time the fan goes on. A pleated filter is more restrictive and will eliminate that bang.
Hot and cold rooms:
- When confronted with resolving hot and cold rooms, begin by determining the time of day it is taking place. The most common issues are tied to duct losses and room surface temperatures impacted over the course of the day.
Hopefully this information has made you a little less freaked out in your thinking “are there ghosts in your ducts?”