Your air ducts are hidden away in your attic and walls, so they largely go unnoticed. However, did you know that your air ducts are one of the single biggest factors in your home's energy efficiency? 100% of the air that your HVAC system heats and cools must pass through the air ducts to get to its destination. To make sure it reaches its destination as intended, make sure your air ducts have the following three qualities.

Proper Air Flow

Your air ducts should provide a steady air flow to each room that's enough that you can feel it coming out of the vents from a good distance away. The air flow should also be reasonably balanced between each room so that you don't end up with some rooms that are hotter or colder than others.

The key to proper air flow is the right sizing and layout. Your air ducts will go through many twists and turns to get to their final destination, and the size of the ducts will affect both how much air gets through and the air's speed.

Getting the air flow right is a science that can only be accomplished by a trained and experienced HVAC contractor. One of the most important things to remember is that if you change your HVAC system, your duct calculations will need to be redone to see if your ducts are suitable for the new system.

No Heat Loss

When your HVAC system puts out air, it may be much hotter or colder than what actually comes out through your vents. The reason for this is that heat is lost by radiating through your ducts as the air travels.

If possible, ducts should run through air conditioned spaces instead of hot attics or cold basements to keep them away from extreme temperatures that can affect the air inside of the ducts. If you must run through an attic or basement, insulation is necessary to stop heat loss and preserve energy efficiency.

Durability

A leaky duct sends air conditioned air into attic or basement spaces where you don't want it. Make sure your ducts are made of materials that will stand up to constant vibrations and won't puncture if someone in your attic accidentally strikes them.

To learn more about how to make sure your air ducts are allowing your home's HVAC system to operate at maximum energy efficiency, contact a local HVAC contractor from a company like Crystal Coast Heating & Air LLC today.