Staying warm in your home is important, especially during the cold winter months that Minneapolis winters can bring. Keeping warm air inside your home while not letting cold outside air in is more difficult than you think. Your furnace has to be able to keep air pressure the same inside and outside to not cause problems with heating your home. In some cases, negative pressure is between the inside of your home and the outside. Other cases can see a difference in air pressure between rooms. Both cases put a strain on your furnace, which can increase your bills.
What Negative Pressure Is
Negative pressure in your home means that the air pressure in your home is lower than the air pressure outside. This can happen with dramatic differences in temperature and an issue with your furnace. If there is a different pressure between different rooms of your house, it could be an issue with the way air is distributed in your home. Less air pressure in your house makes the air outside want to rush to come in. This is similar to drinking out of a juice box. As you drink more of the juice, the box constricts. The only way to get the box back to its original pressure, or look full, air has to be put inside. With air constantly forcing its way inside, this can dramatically increase your heating bills because colder air is being pulled inside.
How to Test for Negative Pressure
There are instruments that can help you test for negative pressure, but there is an easier and cheaper way to test it. Open a door to a small crack and put your hand or face by the door. If there is air rushing towards you, there is negative pressure in the room you are in. Negative air pressure can also cause doors to randomly slam or make whistling noises while closed. Before you call the paranormal investigators, be sure to call your HVAC professional to fix the air pressure in your home.
How to Fix Negative Pressure
There are many things that can cause negative air pressure, but the most common issues are high winds, the stack effect, and an issue with your furnace. High winds outside can’t always be controlled, but you can control the way you seal up your home. Talk to your HVAC professional if you would like to know more about how you can avoid negative pressure with high winds. The stack effect also can’t always be controlled. The stack effect relates to how hot air rises and cool air stays lower. Different air temperatures have different pressures, making different areas in your home have different levels of air pressure. Your HVAC professional can talk you through how to circulate air better in your home. The issue that can be easily fixed is if there is a mechanical furnace issue. While specific mechanical issues vary, any will have to be fixed by your HVAC professional to keep your family safe.
We hope you stay warm and safe throughout this winter. If you need any help with your furnace or HVAC systems, we are happy to help. Contact us to learn more about our safety measures while helping you with your furnace problems.
