Residential · High-velocity / small-duct
High-velocity small-duct HVAC service in Tomball & Spring
Got small round outlets in the ceiling instead of regular vents? You probably have a high-velocity system, and yes, we work on those. Homes are most of what we do. We're Class A licensed, based in Tomball and Spring, and we cover the towns around them.
- Class A licensed and insured
- No tonnage limits
- Technician-led
- 24-hour service Mon–Sat
How to tell if that's what you have
From the outside it looks like any other system. You've got an outdoor unit and an air handler inside. The giveaway is the outlets. Instead of rectangular grilles, you'll see small round openings in the ceiling or walls, and behind them is a run of skinny flexible tubing instead of big ductwork.
People put these in older homes, historic houses and additions, mostly because there wasn't room for full-size ducts. The air comes out faster than you're used to. That's normal.
And no, our name doesn't mean this is all we do. Most of the homes we're in have regular ducts. This page is for the ones that don't.
What we usually run into
The most common call is one room that never cools or heats while the rest of the house is fine. On a small-duct system that's often a tube that got crushed, kinked or pulled off somewhere in the attic or behind a wall. We trace that run before we go anywhere near the outdoor unit.
Noise is the next one. These systems are a little louder at the outlet by design, so we don't chase normal sound. A new whistle, or one outlet that's a lot louder than the others, is different. That's usually a restriction, a loose outlet or a filter that's loading up.
Weak air everywhere? Same suspects as a regular system: dirty filter, dirty coil, a weak blower, a leak on the supply side. We also count how many outlets are open and check for crushed tubing.
If the outdoor unit runs and the house just won't cool, we diagnose it like any AC call. Refrigerant, a capacitor or contactor, or the airflow problems above. Our AC repair page has the longer list. For damaged ductwork of any kind, see air duct repair.
What a visit looks like
We start with the filter, then look at the coil and the outdoor unit. We run the system and watch it heat or cool for a while. After that we walk the house, check the outlets, and get eyes on whatever tubing we can reach.
Maintenance runs on the same schedule as any home. Cooling in spring, heat in fall. Velocity Care puts both visits on the calendar so you don't have to remember. If we find a crushed tube or a connection that's pulled apart, that's a repair, and we'll tell you before we do anything.
Our techs don't rely on commission, so the customer always comes first.
High-velocity HVAC FAQ
What is a high-velocity small-duct system?
Look up at the ceiling. If you've got small round outlets instead of rectangular vent grilles, there's a good chance it's one. The air handler pushes air through skinny flexible tubes, so it comes out faster. You find them in older homes and additions where there wasn't room for regular ductwork.
Do you work on high-velocity systems, or only regular ducted AC?
Both. When we come out to a small-duct system we do what we do on any other call. We figure out what failed, tell you, and then fix it.
Why does my high-velocity system whistle or feel drafty?
Some of that comes with the territory, since the air's moving fast. What we care about is a change. If an outlet that used to be quiet started whistling, or one room can't keep up anymore, we'd go looking for a crushed tube, a run that came apart, a dirty filter or a blower that's off balance. We check the tubes before we start replacing parts.
How is maintenance different from a regular AC?
The outdoor unit and the coil get the same spring and fall care as any system. What's extra is the tubing. On a visit we look at the filter and the outlets, and any tube we can reach, for kinks, leaks or crush damage. Velocity Care schedules those two visits for you.
How much is a diagnostic?
Our residential diagnostic is $89. We waive it when we make the repair or you buy a system from us.
When can I call?
We're open 24 hours Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday. Call (832) 589-0813 or send a request online.
Diagnostic and financing
Our diagnostic is $89 for homes and $150 for commercial buildings. We waive it when we make the repair or you buy a system from us.
We offer 0% financing for 5 years, subject to credit approval.
Request high-velocity system service
Tell us what it's doing and we'll call you back to set up a visit.