You don't always need to immediately call an HVAC professional at the first sign of a less productive system. That is, a lot of things can go wrong with your HVAC system, and some of them I probably caused by something that you did or didn't do. Luckily, you can usually fix these mistakes quite easily before you need to call in an HVAC service. This article explains two simple things that homeowners should check right away if they suspect that their system has poor airflow:

Adjust Your Air Registers

The first thing you need to do is adjust your air registers. This is simple and obvious. Nonetheless, many people neglect to do it. That is, homeowners are often puzzled by certain rooms in their home I'm not heating up a cooling down like they want them to, only to find out that the registers are closed. Often, it is hard to visibly tell if the register vents are in the open or closed position. Especially when they are high up on the wall. So, you might need to get up on a ladder and double check your registers to make sure that they're open. While you are doing this, you also want to check the cleanliness of the space between each individual blade. If the register blades are clogged, it won't really matter if the register is opened or closed. You will experience reduced airflow and efficiency.

Check and Tape Your Duct Seams

Even though most of your ducting system inside the walls, there's bound to be quite a few feet of exposed ducting. These exposed sections of air ducts are the most susceptible to heat loss. This is particularly true because many of these sections are in rooms that don't have conditioned air. Often, they are in the basement, garage, or a utility room where the temperature is usually colder. This means a lot of heat can't escape through the ducts.

Also, since these ducts are exposed, they can get nudged or hit loose. If the seams are not tight, air can escape. Basically, these sections of ductwork are at the highest risk of being inefficient, so it can be very helpful to tape the seams. Aluminum foil tape is better than traditional duct tape for taping seems because it has a stronger hold and it is more airtight. If your ducts are airtight, you won't lose as much heat. If you have the time and money, you can even consider adding some insulation or a duct jacket to the exposed sections.

Contact local HVAC services for more information and assistance.