How Can an AC Vent Booster Supplement Your HVAC Unit?

If your HVAC system needs a helping hand, is an AC vent booster the answer? Adequate airflow is the lifeblood of your cooling and heating system. Specifications for system airflow in cubic feet per minute are carefully calculated when the HVAC components and ductwork are installed.

A vent booster is an independent fan intended to augment system airflow into a particular room or part of the house. Two types of vent boosters are typically available:

  • Inline booster fans are installed inside a span of ductwork to enhance airflow. These units require opening up the ductwork to install them, and they need electrical wiring that extends back to the AC or furnace.
  • Register fans are units that install directly on the duct register where it enters the room. Designed to bolster airflow into one room, these units don’t require duct installation and usually plug directly into a wall socket. Different units may include a built-in thermostat for automatic actuation of the fan, as well as remote control operation.

What an AC Vent Booster Can Do

An example of a scenario where installing a vent booster is helpful is when ductwork installed in an older home is not sized correctly to deliver sufficient airflow. A vent booster can pull more air through the duct faster, thus adding additional cubic feet per minute of air to a specific room.

What an AC Vent Booster Can’t Do

Very often, insufficient airflow is the result of issues that simply can’t be remedied by merely adding an additional fan as an inline installation or a register booster fan. These include:

  • Clogged system air filter. The filter should be replaced monthly during summer cooling season and every other month in winter.
  • Duct-leakage issues, such as deterioration of duct material, leaks at joints, or disconnected segments.
  • Return vents obstructed by furniture or other objects.
  • The system blower is no longer operating up to specifications.

For more advice about adding an AC vent booster to your home, contact the professionals at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company.