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The best location of the return vents depends on whether the system is heating or cooling the air. If it’s cooling, the return vents should be near the ceiling, where the warm air collects, but if it’s heating, the return vents should draw cool air from the floors.
Should return air vents be high or low?
It’s important to remember that hot air rises and cold air falls. In the winter you want the cold air to be drawn through the return registers leaving the hot air behind. By opening the lower registers and closing the top ones you keep hot air in and draw the cold air out.
How many return vents should a house have?
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 should vents be located?
Registers should be placed in the middle of the external wall (in the floor or low on the wall); if there are two external walls, both need registers in the middle. (If the room is tiny, one duct may work, even if there are two external walls.)Jul 3, 1992.
Can a return vent 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. In older homes, this may not be an option.
Which direction should ceiling return air vents face?
There is no proper direction for the vanes to point. If they’re high sidewall, normally they would be pointed upward which makes them vision proof and just the opposite for low sidewall.
How big should my return air duct be?
The duct for this system must be sized by using 6 square inches of clear duct area for each 1000 BTU of cooling. Each ton of cooling contains 12,000 BTU. Multiply the tonnage, 3.5, by the total BTU per ton and this will give you the total BTU rating.
Should every room in a house have a return vent?
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. Likewise, you can also install these in rooms that have a high footfall or usage in the house.
How do you tell if a vent is a return?
You can identify return vents by turning on the system fan and holding your hand or a piece of paper up. If the paper is pulled toward the vent or you feel a suction effect, it’s a return vent.
What is the return vent?
What is a Return Air Vent? An air conditioner works by absorbing the warm air and moisture from your home. Once the dampness is separated from the air, your AC unit cools the warm air, and sends it back into your home through the return air vents. So, in a nutshell, it recycles air from each room in your home.
How far away should a return vent be from a supply vent?
You are correct, the supply should be at one end of the room and the return at the other end.
What is return air duct?
Return air ducts balance airflow in your HVAC system — The primary role of return ducts is to bring air that has been warmed or cooled back to your furnace or air conditioner. This air is returned so that it can be heated or cooled again, filtered of particulates and contaminants, and redistributed inside your home.
Why are cold air returns near the ceiling?
In an air conditioning climate the return duct goes near the ceiling to draw off the hot air and cool it down. In general, all of the house hot air outlets should be equal in size to all of the cold air returns, to keep the system balanced and air flowing smoothly.
Can you put a return vent on the floor?
A return air venting system can be installed in one of two ways: either every room with a supply register will also have a return air vent, or there can be centrally located return vents on each floor of your home. This can be much more easily achieved when return air vents are near a room’s supply registers.
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 you hang a picture over a return air vent?
Much like the louvered doors, louvered shutters can be used to hide a return air vent without obstructing airflow. These can be hung over the return vent like a picture would be or secured to the wall with hinges allowing you to open and close the shutters when it’s time to replace your return vent filters.
Why is my room so hot compared to the rest of the house?
Dirty air filter—A dirty filter restricts airflow, not letting your home get enough cool air. Closed vents—Closed vents in rooms can cause them to be hotter than other rooms. Open windows—Your conditioned air can flow out of open windows, leaving uneven temperatures in your home.
