Since the 1970s, people across the United States of America have been discovering new ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle in order to help the environment. One new way you can be more eco-friendly in your home is by leveraging your air ducts or reusing them for both your heating and your cooling systems.
Reusing air ducts reduces the number of supplies needed to cool and heat your home, and is not only possible, but it’s also a very common occurrence. Most homes in America that have both central cooling and central heating have a single air duct system that is used for both. Read on to learn more about the benefits of combining heating ducts & air conditioning ducts, as well as what kinds of heating systems can’t share ducts.
Shared Ducts Take up Less Space
Naturally, sharing a duct system saves space inside your home. If you only need one air duct system running through your home instead of two, you reduce the amount of attic space that is required to house the ducts.
This may mean that you have more storage space in your attic for personal possessions, or it could mean higher ceilings in your home if you don’t need an added crawl space for your air ducts.
Central AC Systems Use Shared Ducts
If you have a central air cooling or central heating system in your home, chances are the two systems are already sharing a duct system.
In most central HVAC systems the ductwork runs through your entire home, connected to vents in each room.
During warmer months, when your cooling system is on, cool air flows through the ducts into the different rooms of the house, cooling your entire home.
During cold weather months, when your heater is on, the same ducts are used to guide warm air into the various rooms of your home.
Heat Pumps Can’t Share Ducts
But what if you don’t have a central heating system? For example, if you have a heat pump that pumps warm air into your home from outside during the winter months to heat it, and then pumps warm air out of your home in summer months to keep it cool, then you likely are unable to share ducts.
Because some heat pumps work both ways, however, and can be used for both heating and cooling, you may be able to get away with not having any duct system installed at all, which will cut back on heating or cooling loss and make your system more efficient.
If you have any more questions about leveraging your air ducts and making your HVAC systems more convenient and energy-efficient to use, give TR Miller Heating and Cooling a call today.
Our highly qualified HVAC technicians are ready and available to assist you with making the most of your HVAC and air duct systems. Don’t forget to share this article on social media to share with your friends how they can make the most of their existing ductwork by leveraging their ducts.
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Brian Sloan is the President of TR Miller Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical, one of the western Chicago suburbs' leading family owned home service companies, serving homeowners across more than 80 communities throughout Will, Kendall, DuPage, Kane, and Cook counties.
TR Miller is more than a business to Brian, it's a family legacy. The company was founded by his father, Tim Miller, and Brian and his brother Jim have played an important role in growing the business from a small local operation into a full service residential HVAC, plumbing, and electrical company serving homeowners throughout the greater Chicagoland area.
Brian's perspective on the home services industry comes from firsthand experience. Before taking on leadership responsibilities, he worked in the field as an HVAC Service Technician and Fabrication Technician, diagnosing heating and cooling systems, assembling custom HVAC components, and supporting residential installations throughout the western suburbs.
That hands on foundation continues to influence the way Brian leads TR Miller today. He understands both the work taking place inside a customer's home and the systems, training, and support required behind the scenes to consistently deliver a great customer experience.
Over the course of his career at TR Miller, Brian has worked across nearly every major area of the business, including operations, marketing, sales, job coordination, customer service, finance, and leadership. Today, as President, he is responsible for the overall strategy, growth, culture, and performance of the organization.
That breadth of experience across both the technical and business sides of home services has helped shape how TR Miller operates: combining the systems and accountability of a professionally run organization with the care, responsiveness, and personal connection of a family business.
Brian's philosophy is straightforward, make home services convenient and reliable while giving homeowners the information they need to make the best decisions for their homes and families. That means educating customers, providing clear options and upfront pricing, and making sure homeowners understand both what was found and why a repair or replacement may be recommended.
Under Brian's leadership, TR Miller has expanded beyond HVAC into plumbing and electrical services, grown across multiple locations, invested heavily in technical and leadership development, and been recognized seven times on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest growing privately held companies.
Credentials & Affiliations:
- President, TR Miller Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical
- Membership Officer, YPO Chicagoland
- Board Member, Nexstar Network
- Former Vice Chair, Board of Directors, Plainfield Shorewood Area Chamber of Commerce
- Associate's Degree, Waubonsee Community College
- Former HVAC Service Technician & Fabrication Technician, TR Miller
