Up High: having an air return higher up on a wall will be better at sucking in hot air that rises. Making it more efficient at transferring this hot air back into your system to repeat the cooling cycle. Down Low: if you have your air return lower on your wall it will function better as a cold air return.
Having the return air opening high on the wall will work best for air conditioning since it will pull the warmer air near the ceiling. Sometimes low and high return air openings are installed with registers that can be opened and closed.
If you have a combined heating and cooling system and need to decide between placing the return vents high or low, consider your climate. If you live in cooler climates, it might be wise to install them towards the floor, whereas if you reside in warmer areas, they should ideally be installed close to the ceiling.
Hot air rises and cool air sinks. Therefore, opening the right return vents in the summer and winter significantly improves the distribution of air by your forced-air system. You'll also enjoy more even heating and cooling throughout your home. In the summer, open your high returns and close the low ones.
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.
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.
Can You Have Too Much Return Air? Too much return air coming through your system isn't much of an issue because the fans and ductwork working to get that air back into the system only pull with so much force to make the HVAC system work correctly.
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.
If you prioritize heating, put the HVAC and vents in (or below) the floor. This principle works for return heating vents as well. Place returns for cooling in the ceiling where the warm air congregates and heating returns in or near the floor where the cold air congregates.
Restrictive vents or grills: A vent that isn't the right size or shape can make a ton of unwanted noise. Some vents aren't made very well and have very narrow openings for air to enter or have vents that fall closed easily, which means that the HVAC system or furnace has to work super hard to get enough return air.
Whether the air vents in a home are high up in the ceiling or low and installed in the floor can matter. But, it ultimately comes down to heating and cooling needs plus personal preference.
Ceiling vents: These should usually point downward or at an angle that circulates air throughout the room. Floor vents: These typically work better when angled slightly upward to disperse air more evenly.
Conversely, in the Winter heating season, you will want to pull the coldest air back to the furnace to be warmed and create circulation. In these months, you'll want the lower air return open and the upper air return closed.
Return vents collect air in living spaces and recycle it through the HVAC system. Heat rising plays a big role in return air vent placement. Cold air return vents should be placed lower on the wall than warm air return vents. Poorly placed return vents result in hot and cold spots, condensation, and high energy bills.
Long-term investments — ideal for retirement and building wealth — offer higher returns but you'll need to deal with their ups and downs, while short-term investments — best for immediate needs like an emergency fund or a down payment for a house — are typically safer with a lower average rate of return.
Due in large part to the short cycling issues mentioned above, components on an oversized heating and/or air conditioning systems are more likely to fail sooner than those on a properly sized system. As a result, you may end up having to replace your HVAC system sooner than expected.
Up High: having an air return higher up on a wall will be better at sucking in hot air that rises. Making it more efficient at transferring this hot air back into your system to repeat the cooling cycle. Down Low: if you have your air return lower on your wall it will function better as a cold air return.
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.
Cons Of Ceiling Vents
Remember, heat rises, so if it starts at the ceiling, it has nowhere to go but up. Exposes HVAC system to unconditioned spaces – Attics tend to be dusty and prone to extreme temperatures, adding wear and tear to the equipment and increasing heat transfer loss.
By installing more return vents throughout your home, they can trap the air and remove it, improving air circulation. A drawback with this method is that your ductwork needs enough space to support additional vents. Smaller homes that can't add more vents need to pursue other options.
High Return Air Temp: If the return air temperature is greater than 90°F (adjustable). Low Return Air Temp: If the return air temperature is less than 45°F (adjustable).
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.
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.
Avoid blocking air vents with pillows, furniture, plants, or pictures. When the air vents are blocked it means that heated or cooled air needs to squeeze by what is blocking it to reach the rest of the room.
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.