coming out of the supply vents, your HVAC system may struggle to cool your home during the summer. Your HVAC system will remove less heat from your home, and it will release conditioned air. To troubleshoot this common HVAC problem, you must find out what’s causing poor airflow in your HVAC system.

Ductwork Leakage

If your ductwork is leaking, you may experience poor airflow when running your HVAC system. Research shows that 20% to 30% of the average home’s conditioned air is lost due to ductwork leakage.

 A hole or tear in your HVAC system’s ductwork will allow the conditioned air to escape. Most of the conditioned air may still reach the supply vents, but some of it will inevitably leak out of the hole or tear, resulting in poor airflow

Ductwork Obstruction

In addition to leakage, ductwork obstruction can cause poor airflow in HVAC systems. Ensuring that your HVAC system’s ductwork is sealed and not leaking air isn’t always enough. An obstruction within the ductwork will block the conditioned air so that it’s not able to reach the supply vents.

Dust can build up inside of ductwork. Alternatively, pests can create nests inside of ductwork. Regardless, obstructions such as these will have a negative impact on your HVAC system’s airflow. They’ll restrict or even block air from traveling through the ductwork and into your home’s living spaces.

Blower Failure

If your HVAC system’s blower fails, you can expect poor airflow. The blower is responsible for blowing air into the ductwork.

Blowers are motorized fans. And like other motorized equipment, they are exposed to mechanical stress during use. Your HVAC system’s blower must power up so that the motor can spin the fan. All of this mechanical stress can take a toll on it. If the blower fails, you can expect poor airflow or even no airflow at all.

Dirty Air Filter

A dirty air filter can cause poor airflow in HVAC systems. The air filter, of course, helps to clean the air in your home. You can find it around the blower and evaporator coil. Air must pass through the filter before entering the ductwork and, thus, reaching the supply vents.

As dirt builds up on it, the filter may no longer allow air to easily flow through it. A dirty air flow will restrict the flow of air. As a result, less air will enter the ductwork.