HVAC Equipment and Vibration Isolation
What is Vibration Isolation?
Vibration isolation is the process of isolating vibrating parts from the rest of a machine or system so that these parts don’t cause vibration and noise in other parts of the machine. This type of vibration control is incredibly important in HVAC systems for several reasons.
Importance of Vibration Isolation in HVAC Systems
Major vibrations every time the heating and cooling system kicks on can become an annoying disruption. A good system for controlling these equipment vibrations is to isolate the moving parts from the pieces that can conduct noise. For instance, you may want to isolate the moving parts of the actual cooling fans and machines from the ducts, which could easily carry sound vibrations throughout an entire home or building.
How it Works in HVAC
There are several different ways to create vibration isolation within an HVAC system. Some popular solutions include small springs and even neoprene or fiberglass mounts that isolate vibration waves from getting to particular areas of the HVAC system. These options are good ones for some situations, but they may not be the best available options.
Our Role in HVAC
Today’s technology is allowing for more advanced vibration isolation systems to work with HVAC needs. One such system is Sorbothane®, a specialized viscoelastic substance that can be used to isolate vibration in any part of an HVAC system.
How Sorbothane Works
This substance basically works by both absorbing vibration waves and by converting them into small amounts of heat energy. The absorption can keep some waves from passing through altogether, and the conversion helps keep down the waves even more, eliminating unnecessary vibration and noise from the overall system.
Versatility Within the Systems
The benefit of Sorbothane is that it can be used in a variety of different ways within the HVAC system. Because of the way that it can take different forms, it can be molded to create small pads to go between parts of the system or larger elements to control vibration. One excellent advantage of this is that the vibration control element takes up less space, which means that the entire HVAC system can become smaller and more compact.
Durability Beyond the Competition
Also, Sorbothane doesn’t break down as many other vibration isolation devices tend to do. It can take more vibration impacts than foam or other sorts of isolation devices, so you don’t have to replace it very often. Plus, it can be molded and formed into any shape you want so that it works perfectly with any sort of system you’ve got set up.
The Extended Benefits of Sorbothane in an HVAC System
Sorbothane’s vibration isolation properties can help your HVAC system run more quietly and smoothly, and it can also extend the life of your system. When constant vibration isn’t a problem, the moving parts of your HVAC system won’t break down as quickly. Putting just a little more time and thought into your vibration control elements can help you spend a lot less time fixing, repairing, and replacing parts in your heating and cooling system. This is more cost-effective in the long run, especially when Sorbothane® is such an affordable way to control vibration.
Integrate Sorbothane Into Your HVAC
Interested in learning more about Sorbothane’s solutions? Download our Standard Products Guide today or contact us to learn more about how Sorbothane can integrate into your HVAC systems.