Types of HVAC Dampers

A house with centralized AC generally has multiple rooms that are cooled and heated by the cooling unit with a duct system. But often times many rooms of the house may remain unoccupied. There may be guest rooms which are used only when the guests arrive.These rooms do not need to be cooled regularly. Cooling them will mean wastage of energy. Many people think that the air to certain rooms can be shut off by closing the vents. But closing the vents is not healthy for the air conditioner. It will increase power bills and can affect the compressor. It can also result in icy coils. The best way to control airflow to various rooms is by installing dampers. The dampers are basically adjustable metal plates that are fitted inside the ducts to close off or control the volume of conditioned air in a specified room or area. The dampers can be motorized or manual.

Dampers are of various types. Let’s take a look anthem:

 Zone Control Dampers

These are generally fitted in vast spaces that have multiple rooms. It can be business space or a large house. These have multiple dampers that are centrally controlled with a zone controller. The controller keeps tab on temperature and ventilation specifications in each zone and operates the dampers accordingly. These are motorized systems that can control the flow of air in various rooms automatically.

 Back Draft Dampers

These dampers are very important to ensure that the flow of air happens through the ducts in one way. Otherwise the air to be exhausted can find its way back into the rooms. The exhaust air contains a variety of harmful gases including carbon monoxide whose expose is dangerous. These dampers are circular in shape and balances according to the direction in which they are stein the wall. These open when the air in the correct direction pushes them closing immediately after the airflow is cutoff.

 Economizer Dampers

These dampers are used for energy saving and cost cutting purposes. They allow the outside air to come in for cooling purposes. These generally work in pairs. One of the pairs allows outside air into the system. The other one which is called the return air damper lets recirculated air back into the system.

 Face and Bypass Dampers

These dampers work in tandem with evaporator coils to regulate the temperature. These can close to stop the airflow when the temperature reaches the level set in the thermostat. Cutting off the flow allows the temperature in the room to rise which again leads to the opening of the damper to cool the air across the coil.

 Pressure relief Dampers

These dampers are installed to relieve the pressure built in the zoned duct system. A rise in pressure can harm the HVAC system. These dampers have sliding weight which is adjusted to open when certain pressure level is reached. These are available in round or rectangular shapes and have foam seal to prevent leakage of air.