Keep furniture and even curtains at least 10” away from the vent opening in order to allow for proper air flow. It's important to keep the area in front of your return air vents clear for a few reasons. If you don't, it reduces the efficiency of your air system and causes it to use more energy.
Tips to Prevent Airflow Issues in Your HVAC System
Make sure that the return vents are never blocked by furniture, area rugs, long drapes, large toys or other household items.
All objects should be at least 6 to 12 inches away from the vent. However, when it comes to big bulky items, such as your sofa, recliner or bookcase, it's best to never place them in front of your return air vent.
So how much space does an air return vent need to work properly? Home Inspection Insider explains that an air return vent needs 6-12 inches of space in front of it, and recommends that you do not put large, bulky furniture like couches and bookshelves in front of an air return vent.
All furniture, including beds, should be positioned at least 6 to 12 inches away from floor vents to allow for proper airflow into a room.
There's a simple, unequivocal answer from an HVAC perspective: leave those vents unblocked for optimal airflow and temperature regulation. Can you put a couch over a vent? Sure, but it's not advised.
In the heating cycle, blocked cold air returns can cause the heat exchanger inside the blower compartment to store too much heat and eventually crack.
Having an air return vent in every room can increase the energy efficiency of a home by recirculating the air internally rather than drawing hot or cold air from outside. However, this can pose a slight staging problem since furniture and draperies should be kept clear of cold air return vents.
Down Low: if you have your air return lower on your wall it will function better as a cold air return. This will allow your air return to draw in cold air as it sinks to the bottom of the room. Making it more efficient at recirculating this cold air through your furnace to repeat the heating cycle.
Whenever possible, the split unit should be installed in a central part of the room, away from obstacles such as curtains, doors, and furniture. To protect the health of the occupants, avoid positioning the unit where the airflow would be directed directly onto people, taking into account the room's usage.
One per room is ideal, but placing two or three in central locations can provide enough air circulation to maximize the energy efficiency of your HVAC and optimize indoor air quality, so your family stays healthy. If your home has multiple stories, you should have at least one return air vent per floor.
Yes, temperature does have a direct effect on wood furniture. Because all wood furniture contains water, it will expand in warm weather and contract in cold weather. If the furniture expands and contracts repeatedly, it can damage and warp the furniture.
Return air ducts must be sealed and unobstructed — Sealing return air ducts is just as important as sealing supply ducts. Sealing all duct section connections with mastic, a specialized rubbery sealant, or with metal tape prevents air leaks.
Does Every Room Need Air Return Grilles? While it is a myth that air return grilles are required in each and every room in the house, it is definitely necessary to have more than one of these grilles installed at strategic places in the house. The most important place to have these would be the bedroom.
Air Quality Issues
Placing a bed over a floor vent can significantly impact the air quality in your bedroom. Here's how: Reduced Airflow: When you cover a vent, you're blocking the designed path for air circulation in your home. This can lead to stagnant air in your room, which may feel stuffy and uncomfortable.
Symptoms include weak airflow and uneven cooling or heating throughout your home, with some rooms feeling much cooler or warmer than others. Homeowners should regularly check vents for consistent airflow. If you notice a significant drop in air pressure or uneven temperatures, it could indicate return air issues.
Cold air return vents should typically be placed lower on the walls or the floor since cold air naturally sinks. This placement helps capture the cooler air faster and more efficiently, allowing it to be recirculated through the HVAC system for heating or cooling.
The theory is that in the Summer cooling season, you want to be circulating warmer air back through the HVAC system to be cooled. Since that warmer air is at the top of your room, you will want to make sure the highest air return is open and the lowest is closed.
Turning your air vents so that the grate faces upward certainly won't hurt, but it likely won't be a magical cooling solution. From an aesthetic standpoint, facing the grates upward will make the fixture appear sleek and clean (since you won't be able to see into the wall).
For example, in a forced-air system, the return is usually located in the ceiling, while in a radiant heating system, the return may be located on the floor. In some cases, the return may be located in the basement or crawlspace, depending on the type of HVAC system being used.
Common Issues with Return Ducts: Clogs and Leaks
You can generally identify a blocked air duct by a distinct drop in heating and cooling efficiency, increased energy costs, and occasionally a musty, dusty smell throughout the home.
In homes where you have return air vents on the floor, you don't want to slide a couch or a decorative rug over them. When you do this, it impedes airflow in your home.
If these air return systems are obstructed, not only will you block the proper airflow and create stuffiness in the rooms of your house, but you will have uneven cooling or heating, lack of proper filtration, and potentially higher energy bills.
Their purpose is to allow air to return to the furnace to be heated or cooled. It is an air inlet. If your home has returns in most rooms this is the best setup, allowing for the best circulation and air flow. But sometimes we see that people cover/close them up because they don't realize their importance.
If you are in the far north, or in the Southern US, the answer is simple. In an air conditioning climate the return duct goes near the ceiling to draw off the hot air and cool it down. In a heating climate, the return duct goes near the floor to draw off the cold air and heat it up.