During the colder months, many local residents are not likely to prioritise an air conditioner service in Perth. However, the warmer months come around faster than you can imagine, and it’s easy to get caught out with an AC system that’s not working correctly. An aircon service is a great way to get ready for the season ahead and one of the best ways to locate drafts. This can be tricky; let’s take a closer look at how you or a professional HVAC engineer could locate a draft in your home.
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Are Drafts That Serious?
In a word, yes they are, a draft can have a dramatic effect on the cooling or heating performance of your equipment, and it will lower the energy efficiency considerably. A draft needs to be located and fixed as quickly as possible to get your HVAC system working as intended and to restore your indoor comfort levels. If the draft is left unattended, your heating and cooling equipment may have to work harder, and this can reduce the effective lifespan of your equipment.
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Feeling the Draft
An air conditioning service professional may be able to identify the draft by simply feeling it, but this isn’t likely. After all, your home may be fairly large, and it’s not credible that they would detect the draft in other parts of your home. It’s far more likely that you will notice the draft first and they inform your HVAC technician when they come to service your equipment. It’s easier to locate a draft if the home is cold and you have your heat on. Simply run your hand along the edges of window seals or around the door, and you may locate a colder draft from outdoors. If the draft is quite small, this may be hard to detect, but you could try walking from room to room with a candle and look at how the flame reacts when it settles down. If you want to be more accurate, you can purchase a draft detector from your local hardware store.
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Getting Serious
If you have detected one or more drafts, you need to get in touch with an HVAC specialist and get them to carry out an energy audit on your home. This will often use thermal imaging cameras to detect where your leaks are located and how much treated air you’re currently losing to outdoors. This is an ideal activity for colder weather; colder spots will stand out easily even if there is no significant air movement to take into consideration. This is a great way to locate a draft that may be originating from electrical outlets, vents, lighting fixtures, and other locations that are not directly connected to the outdoors. Another more extensive test that can be carried out is a pressurisation test that uses a powerful fan and special detection equipment to find changes in air pressure.
If you’re looking for a professional air conditioner service in Perth, contact Air Spares for expert help and advice today.