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The answer may be your return air grills- also known as “cold air returns”. These are the vents that are usually on the wall and they do not have a control mechanism to open or shut their flow. Their purpose is to allow air to return to the furnace to be heated or cooled.
What is purpose of cold air return?
The Purpose of Your Cold Air Returns The return registers draw stale air into the ductwork, where it’s pulled through the filter to capture dust and debris and then delivered back to the HVAC equipment for reconditioning.
Is cold air return necessary?
Cold air return vents aren’t the most elegant feature in your home, but they exist for reason. These vents, commonly found in hallways or on ceilings, are absolutely essential to an air conditioner’s well-being. Cold air returns take in warm air from your home’s indoor spaces for use in your air conditioning system.
Do all houses have cold air returns?
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.
How do cold air return vents work?
Cold air returns are what allow your furnace to “inhale” your home’s air. Once inside your cold air returns, that air travels through your ductwork back to your furnace where it is filtered, heated and sent back to warm your home.
Where should cold air returns go?
Ideally you want a cold air return register in every major room in your home. This would not include bathrooms and closets, but bedrooms, living rooms, etc. Older homes might only have just one or two on each floor.
Can you place furniture in front of a cold air return?
Most people would tell you, no, you cannot put furniture in front of an air return vent. For example, you can’t place a couch or chair or any piece of furniture that has a back into it in front of a return air vent because it will block all airflow into the return air vent.
What happens if you block cold air return?
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. If the cracks are too large, the furnace can emit carbon monoxide into your home’s air.
How big should my cold air return be?
A typical air return vent size (16×20) can provide airflow with a maximum of up to 1,500 CFM. To achieve that 1,500 CFM, we need a big pressure pushing air through the ducts and through the cold air return grille.
Can a cold air return be in the ceiling?
Most homes across the U.S. have forced air systems and in newer homes there will be cold air return vents placed at both the ceiling and the floor of many rooms. Having two air return vents allows you to seasonally control which air is returning to the HVAC system.
What happens if there is not enough return air?
If there is not enough return air available, your HVAC system will not heat or cool properly. If not enough air is brought back, your HVAC system will not be able to keep up with temperature demands. In some cases, two returns may be necessary to provide enough return air.
Can a cold air return be in the floor?
Return vents are usually larger than heat registers and can generally be found close to the ground or in the floor in older homes or on a wall close to a ceiling in newer homes.
How many cold air returns do you need in a house?
Having several return vents (ideally one in every room, but even two or three is better than just one) creates consistent air pressure. If you have one return vent, your home is fine. Keep the doors to each room open so air can properly circulate.
Where do you put return air vents?
“An HVAC return air duct should be in every room except a bathroom and kitchen. They should be on interior walls across the room from the supply ducts that should be washing exterior walls with conditioned air.”.
Can you have too much return air?
Can an air return be too big? No, an air return cannot be too big, except in extreme cases where a closed room is temporarily under negative air pressure. Return vents maintain air pressure, filter out debris, and are critical to the efficient operation of any HVAC system.
Should cold air returns be high or low?
To ensure efficiency during the cooling season, your home should have high registers. High return registers draw hot air that rises to the ceiling back into the system to repeat the cooling cycle.
Does you need cold air return with high efficiency furnace?
The architecture of high-efficiency furnaces means that they have their own fresh air intake. This means that they don’t use the air inside your home; rather, they draw air from outside. However, this doesn’t mean you don’t need an external fresh air intake because you’ve installed a 90% furnace.
Can you put a bed in front of a cold air return?
The clearer the better, but as long as it’s not completely blocked, it’ll be fine. I’m guessing this is a standard bed, so you have like half a foot between the bottom of the bed and the vent? That’s fine for a return; the air will find its way to the vent.
How much space do you need for a cold air return?
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.
How far should furniture be from return air vent?
All your air vents need at least six inches of clearance from all furniture, drapes or other household items to ensure proper system breathing.
Should I close AC vents in unused rooms?
Closing the vents doesn’t do it any favors. In fact, instead of helping the air conditioner cool less, closed registers force the same amount of air through other ducts. This builds pressure in the system and makes your HVAC system work harder to distribute the air where you need it.
Should cold air returns be open or closed in the winter?
Because hot air rises and cold air falls, you need to adjust your return vents with the seasons. In the summer, your lower vents should be closed and your upper vents should be open. In the winter, your upper vents should be closed and your lower vents should be open.
Can you put furniture in front of a heating vent?
It is best practice not to cover vents with furniture. If you place furniture atop a vent, it may dry out the wood and damage your expensive sofa or armoire. You may also cause your furnace or air conditioner to work harder, resulting in a higher utility bill or premature wear to your system.
