Return vents: What is a return vent? These vents suck the air from each room and send it back to the air conditioning or
Return air vents are usually found in the lower wall of a room or hallway. Ideally, your return air vents and supply vents should be on opposite sides of the space. Otherwise, you may be pulling some of the heated or cooled air back into the system before it has a chance to circulate.
The air vents in your home are an important part of your HVAC system. They help to circulate air throughout the house and keep the temperature regulated. The return vents allow stale indoor air to enter the return ducts and cycle back to the HVAC unit.
What room should return air ducts not be installed? Return air ducts should generally not be installed in rooms with high humidity or areas prone to moisture accumulation, such as bathrooms or kitchens.
If you only have one return vent in your home, your air pressure won't be optimal. It is best practice to have further air returns installed in this case. Changing the location of an air return from the floor to the wall can only be done on an interior wall. This adjustment cannot be done on exterior walls.
Blocked or insufficient return air can lead to reduced airflow from your vents. 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.
There are several reasons to put vents at exterior walls, or more specifically, at exterior windows. Any architect will tell you that they do this intentionally, even in brand new LEED certified buildings. When it is cold out, condensation builds up on windows if they do not have air moving past them.
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.
Dirty filters, leaky ducts, and poor insulation can cause cold return vents. Leaky ducts often cause cold air to blow even after cranking the heat up. 20-30% of air, especially hot air, is lost because of leaky ducts. Cracked, holey ductwork needs sealing or replacement.
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.
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.
While living in the south, you may have noticed that extreme heat is more common than extreme cold. If you remember basic science, you'll know that hot air rises, and cold air sinks, making ceiling vents the delivery location of choice for places that often experience warmth and humidity.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Return air vents connect to your return ducts, and they're typically larger than supply vents. Again, depending on the design of your ductwork and home, HVAC return vent locations vary but are often in central areas, kitchens, bathrooms, and pollutant-prone areas so as to best collect stale or dirty air.
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.
Having a number of return vents (preferably one in every room, but also 2 or three is far better than just one) creates regular air pressure. If you have one return vent, your house is great. Maintain the doors to every room open so air can properly flow.
Another tip is to look for markings on the vent. Sometimes, the vent might have the words “supply” or “return” engraved on them. If markings aren't present, locate the air filter. If you see one on the vent, then you're looking at a return vent.
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.
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.
It's important to remember that static vents serve a purpose, especially in older homes. They provide ventilation to indoor spaces, help regulate indoor temperatures and prevent the build-up of excess moisture in wall cavities and rooms which can lead to mould outbreaks and damage to building materials.
The Importance of Clear and Functioning Plumbing Roof Vents
They extend through the roof to allow sewer gases to escape from your home safely. Without proper venting, these gases can build up inside your home, leading to foul odors, health hazards, and even dangerous levels of methane gas.
Placing the heat vents beneath the windows is actually best for efficiency and proper airflow. Essentially, you want to target your warm air where the home is cold. If you'd placed heat vents in your ceiling, for example, then this part of the home would get hot, neglecting to heat up the sides of the home as much.