Homebuilders faced with making a healthy bottom line might cut costs when it comes to specifying and installing air-conditioning equipment. As a result, problems such as high noise levels, improperly sized equipment and ducts, return air ducts being too small, duct taped directly to register boots, supply registers not being placed correctly and many other problems can occur. These can diminish an air-conditioning system's effectiveness.
To prevent some of these problems, both contractors and homeowners should demand and use high-quality equipment and material. In addition, both should insist on:
• Performing a load calculation.
• Sizing equipment according to load calculation results. Bigger is not always better.
• Sizing ductwork according to load calculation.
• Correctly sizing return air grills and ducts.
• Placing supply registers based on the load calculation.
• Attaching flex duct with “spin-ins” to allow for proper airflow.
• Using main trunk ducting leading from the plenum of the system instead of several flex duct “arms.”
Source: “New home construction” from Interstate Heating
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