Although both commercial and residential ducts aim to provide you with comfort, they are designed differently and have many differences. So, now you will have a question like “Is commercial duct different from residential?”Yes, they are totally different from each other despite their function of making places warm or cool being the same. But, you have to have a little significant information that clearly states commercial ducts are far different from residential ducts. A simple thing that differentiates commercial ducts from residential ones is that it accommodates larger populations. So, size, components, installation, mechanisms, etc, we mentioned all the differentiations in this blog.
Aspects That Show The Difference Between Commercial & Residential Duct
Is commercial duct different from residential? Yes, they are different in many aspects. A few of those aspects are mentioned here.
- Size & Components
As a commercial HVAC system will be accommodating a larger population to heat and cool respectively, usually the size of it is huge. The size of commercial ducts varies between 4 inches and 41 inches depending upon their flex rounds. Different components in the commercial duct contribute to the size of the system. A few of those components are listed as follows:
- Thermostats
- Dampers
- Evaporator
- Condenser fan
- Blower and
- Compressor
In comparison to the size of a commercial duct, a residential duct cleaning is smaller as it accommodates only a few heads. So, the size of a residential duct is between 4 and 20 inches at most which make the HVAC system efficient. Here, the size of a residential duct varies depending on the system type and its opening. Moreover, the type of plastic, metal and wood will be considered when the size of the residential duct is checked. A few components that contribute to the size are,
- Terminal units
- Turning vanes
- Take-offs
- Smoke and fire dampers
- Plenums
- Stack boots and heads.
- Duct Complexity
Ducts in commercial properties are much larger and hence require more complex HVAC units. As a commercial duct should accommodate larger foundations and more occupants within a building, it is designed in a complex manner. Commercial foundations and buildings have diversified indoor environments based on the business type. To design these ducts, some specialized engineers accept the project.
As residential properties have specific rooms that require cooling and heating, the system isn’t as complex as a commercial duct. Residential ducts are simpler as they don’t accommodate larger spaces or buildings with a diversified environment. Therefore, any certified engineer can design residential air ducts once they get licensed.
- Installation Of Duct
However, the installation factor in the commercial duct is in complete contrast with the residential one as it is a modular unit. Moreover, once they are installed, the HVAC system allows it to upgrade and most importantly helps in easier maintenance. The reason for this is the system components rest in the same compound location and the place is called a packaged unit. An additional benefit is that parts in commercial ducts can be removed or added to change cooling and heating requirements.
A residential duct is a standalone unit and a single HVAC system that can neither be expanded nor modified. When it comes to split residential HVAC units, there is a clear location differentiation between parts of the system. This varies because parts are divided based on indoor and outdoor functioning and hence are installed accordingly. As these parts are split, there is nothing to change them.
- Drainage
When you look at the drainage system of a commercial duct, they need drainage systems in a large number. As they cool larger premises they need access to moisture in cycling. This means that the drainage system of the commercial duct should be installed along with the commercial system itself. As the size of the commercial duct is large, the same goes for its drainage system. Moreover, the drainage system of commercial ducts eliminates all the possibilities of overflowing and ensures total evaporation. Therefore, it has many pans and pipes connected.
However, residential ducts have smaller drainage systems in comparison with commercial ducts. But if a residential duct is used for multiple purposes, then this aspect of the residential duct has to be placed in every area a residential HVAC system is used. The five main types of residential drainage systems are downspout, gutter systems, slope, surface and subsurface. Because of the smaller size of the duct, the residential drainage system doesn’t consist of any complicated parts, unlike commercial drainage systems.
- Maintenance Cost
After getting to know the above aspects of commercial ducts, you can guess the maintenance cost of it to be high. The reasons are the size and structure of the HVAC system, components, complexity, mechanism, etc. If it’s a commercial duct, experts with skills and years of experience should be chosen for maintenance work. Because they ensure to charge accordingly while perfecting the installation and efficiency. There are no standard maintenance costs for commercial ducts.
Typically, a house owner has to bear an average maintenance cost of $500 for a residential duct. The least maintenance cost It takes is $270 and the highest is up to $1000, which can be influenced depending on the previous factors. In fact, the maintenance costs for residential duct also varies depending upon their placement, indoors and outdoors.
Conclusion
If you are still confused about your query, “Is commercial duct different from residential”, then count on experts for duct cleaning. As experts know the major differences between commercial and residential air ducts, they know how to clean them accordingly. Expert duct cleaners will be having different cleaning solutions, equipment and techniques to clean them. Thus, you can trust their expertise when you want to hire them for emergency or same-day duct cleaning services. Apart from this, you can enquire about the costs it takes to clean your air ducts regularly. How often should you clean your ducted heating? So, call them today to get budget-friendly professional duct cleaning services.
