Five key components of a duct system

While ducts and pumps are the most obvious components of an HVAC system, and probably as much as many people know about them, there are other key components without which these systems simply would not work.

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Here are some key components usually found in ductwork systems and their importance in the effective operation of your system.

Vibration isolators

Air conducts sound around a building and often generates some of its own at fans and grilles. Vibration isolators are installed at key points to inhibit this, preventing any disruption or disturbance from system noises and any loss of privacy from sound echoing through the ducting network.

Smoke and fire dampers

As you can imagine, ducting is a potential conduit for smoke, fumes or actual fire to spread around a building. Actuator-driven dampers are always designed into systems, especially where they cross fire curtains.

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Filters, stacks, heads and boots

The routes of ductwork can be very complicated, weaving through cavity walls or across ceilings with many vertical and horizontal runs. Depending on the inclination of its route, its relative temperature and even on atmospheric pressure on any particular day, its natural tendency is to flow quickly at some points and struggle hard to move at others. The picture is further complicated by the effect of inserting various different types of filter into the system and where you choose to locate them.

HVAC suppliers will advise you on the best equipment to use to maintain constant air flow at different points. Duct profiles, seals, bend design, dampers and choosing the most appropriate panel or cartridge filter from a supplier such as https://www.dustspares.co.uk/filters/ can all help in this.

Duct take offs

To deliver consistent volumes of air to different points, and to minimise routing runs at the same time, ducts can incorporate smaller ducts inside them. These then branch out to multiple registers, grilles and diffusers where needed.

Air volume dampers

Different areas of a home, office or factory do not necessarily require the same degrees of ventilation or temperature conditions. Whilst system designs incorporate means to maintain air flow through the system, they also provide access to dampers to control it at different outlet points. Dampers can be either manually or automatically adjusted depending on your requirements. Types include variable air volume controllers and simple zone dampers.

Trent Boult
The writer of this article currently manages his own blog and is managing to do well by mixing online marketing and traditional marketing practices into one.