An HVAC system allows outdoor air into a house to meet the occupant’s ventilation needs. Besides isolating and removing contaminants/odors from the inside environment, an HVAC system also ensures thermal comfort for the building occupants.

A properly installed, maintained, designed, and operated HVAC system can promote excellent air quality. However, expect the indoor air quality to deteriorate if the system can’t fulfill one or several of its functions.

Indoor air quality remains to be a significant concern for single and multiple-family homes. It also has a substantial impact on the occupants’ comfort and health. Research shows that poor indoor quality in single and multiple-family dwellings can result in increased health care expenses.

Besides this, research shows that building material contamination, microbiological contamination, identifiable outdoor contaminants, identifiable indoor contaminants, and inadequate ventilation are the primary causes of poor indoor air quality.

This post will cover the top HVAC system design considerations for single and multi-family homes.

Let’s get started!

Air Distribution

The HVAC design allows it to pass around conditioned air all over the single and multi-family homes.  It then combines with indoor air to dilute the available contaminants. Interfering with this air distribution process can decrease indoor air quality.

To attain proper air distribution, you need to balance out the HVAC system. The system should allow enough conditioned air to reach each area as designed. Select the best air-diffuse locations/types based on the furnishings you expect and their locations because high partitions can interrupt airflow.

Building Pressure Control

A properly balanced HVAC system can control the single and multi-family homes’ pressure connection between the exterior and interior. Besides this, a properly balanced HVAC system can also control the single and multi-family homes’ pressure connection between the individual spaces located within the construction.

HVAC systems prevent air cross-contamination between the two spaces by managing their relative air pressures. These systems do this when the air flows from higher pressure locations to lower pressure locations.

HVAC System Maintenance

Modern HVAC systems feature a design that reduces building costs and maximizes efficiency by operating near their optimum capacities.

Besides this, modern HVAC systems are more complicated because they need to do a fragile balance between indoor air quality and energy use. Proper operation of these modern HVAC systems relies on the appropriate and time to time maintenance, It is best to have a skilled and experienced technician to do the maintenance.

Energy Conservation Measures

In efforts to enhance energy conservation measures, the outside air intake has been closed, the supplied conditioned air reduced, temperature supply for warm air reduced, and temperature supply for cold air increased.

Energy savings generated by these attempts may be canceled by the development of indoor air quality issues. However, you can get the best HVAC system and maintain your indoor air quality by working hand-in-hand with a skilled and experienced HVAC designer and installer.

Local Exhaust Systems

If the exhaust intake is so close to the contamination, expect the exhaust to be more efficient at removing the produced contaminants. Therefore, you should consider how you use the local exhaust systems if the facility equipment or work areas are likely to produce more contaminants or harm the building occupants.

Air Filter Selection

The current market has several HVAC filters of various efficiencies that can minute particles. Note that if the filter efficiency filter increases, the energy consumed by the HVAC system also increases in the same way to withstand the additional resistance.

Here, consider selecting air filters depending on the contaminants you expect from your building’s indoor activities, indoor processes, and outdoor environment.

Final Thoughts

The above are the primary HVAC design factors to consider for your next single or multi-family home project. Hesitate no more! You’ll find it easy to lower costs and attain your air quality goals with the above considerations.