| HVAC
System Design |
Your HVAC system will heat, ventilate, cool, humidify, dehumidify,
or filter the air in your room. But it may also add the noise of rushing
air, the creaking of hot water pipers, the rumbling of motors, compressors
and burners. And even when off, it may provide a flanking path to
defeat your soundproofing.
In a forced air system, conditioned air should enter the room slowly.
A good design picks a happy medium between the quiet of slow moving
air and the required volume of air movement for the temperature and
ventilation requirements of the room.
In a low air speed HVAC system, cooling ducts can be placed in the
ceiling or high on the walls so the heavy cool air drifts down over
the space naturally. And of course heating ducts on the floor or low
on the walls will let warm light air drift up into the room. These
duct placements eliminate the need for rushing air to be forced against
the natural convection currents in the room.
To slow the air just before it enters the room, we can specify still
air boxes in which rapidly entering air is dispersed and distributed
more slowly through a number of ducts. A still air box can also help
reduce noise transmission both in and out of the room.
If you are custom building a room, we may recommend that you consider
radiant floor heating; it's very comfortable and quite quiet. Because
the surface area of the floor is so large, a very low floor temperature
such as 81 degrees Fahrenheit will evenly heat the room. In winter,
radiant heat does not contribute to low humidity as does forced hot
air. Also, because radiant heat eliminates the need for radiators
and ducts, the acoustic layout of the room and optimal system setup
need not consider these obstacles.
Each HVAC project is different. Lifestyle issues, performance issues,
budget, and personal preferences mandate a customized approach to
each individual job.
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