Return ducts essentially passively 'collect' the air in your home, pulling it into the system to be filtered, dehumidified, and conditioned to reach the desired temperatures. You can find the return ducts around your home by looking for those square or rectangular vent grates, usually located along walls.
Return vents should be located in centralized rooms, such as larger living spaces or family rooms. These central locations allow return vents to efficiently pull air from the house and into the system. In most cases, you'll find return air vents located on a wall instead of the floor or ceiling.
Instead, there should be at least one return vent in every room, with two or three being ideal. If your house has only one return vent, this is not a problem — make sure to keep the doors open in every room so the air can circulate properly. Make sure there are no furniture, draperies, rugs, etc. blocking return vents.
You can usually spot return vents on your walls, ceiling, or floors. Look for a white grille without shutters to spot an air return vent. These vents will typically integrate seamlessly into your home.
Air filters are commonly located between the return duct and the air handler. If you still have not found your air filter or furnace filter, look between the return duct and the air handler. The air handler is a large metal box that houses the fan and its motor.
While return vents don't always require filters, adding them provides additional filtration, improving indoor air quality and keeping dirt and debris out of your system. However, there are pros and cons to consider.
Return air ducts channel air from rooms back to the air handler. They're connected to the air grilles you might find on the walls or ceilings of your hallways and larger rooms. The return ducts help maintain good air circulation, preventing hot and cold spots, and keeping your rooms from feeling stuffy.
A lack of return air can cause your HVAC system to overheat, leading to frequent shutdowns or overheating warnings. This overworking can also result in the air conditioner blowing warm air, especially in high temperatures.
Differentiating Between the Two
One of the best ways to identify supply and return vents is to feel them. Hold your hand in front of the vent. If you feel air blowing out, it's a supply vent. If you feel suction, it's a return vent.
If there's not enough return air, your living room can be 10℉+ warmer or cooler than, for example, the bedrooms. Not enough return air in summer can cause rooms close to the central unit to be cooler and those farther from it to be warmer. In winter, rooms farther from the furnace can be too cool.
1. Openings shall not be located less than 10 feet (3048 mm) measured in any direction from an open combustion chamber or draft hood of another appliance located in the same room or space. 2. Return air shall not be taken from a hazardous or insanitary location or a refrigeration room as defined in this code.
Turn them where you don't look at them and see in. So if they are near the ceiling turn them up. Near the floor turn them down. It really is not going to make a difference in the air flow.
Today, it is recommended to have one or multiple air vents in each room of your home or business to optimize air flow and reduce the cost of energy spent on cooling your home or office.
To identify a return vent, take a piece of paper and hold it up to the vent. If the paper is drawn towards the vent, then it's a return vent. Return vents are usually larger than supply vents, and they usually don't have adjustable slats to direct airflow since the air is going into the ducts instead of out.
Depending on the season, your HVAC system recirculates warmed or chilled air throughout your home. Two types of vents are required: supply vents and return vents.
The cost to add a return air vent is between $200 and $750 per vent, with the average cost being about $350. Adding a return air vent can be a valuable upgrade to your home's HVAC system, improving air circulation and overall comfort.
Return registers can be large and centrally located in your home, or they can be in every room. HVAC professionals recommend that each room have a cold air return vent to help with flow and temperature control. These vents are typically found on an interior wall.
Reduced efficiency: Your HVAC system will work less efficiently if you block a return air vent. This will make the units use more energy and will raise your utility costs.
Guess where that air goes, that's being sucked into the Return Air vent. It goes back to the air handler, into a large plenum (box), mixed and joined with the Return Air from the other rooms. Blending the air together helps eliminate the hot/cold rooms and zones in your house.
The filter is commonly located in a return air grille, within the air handler, or external to the air handler in a filter rack. Your air handler for your HVAC system will always be inside your house — either in your basement, attic, or utility room/closet.
You might notice your car gasping for air, metaphorically speaking, with symptoms like reduced fuel efficiency, misfiring engine, or unusual engine noises. In the long run, driving without a proper air filter can lead to major engine damage. And trust me, that's a bill you don't want to see.