Your home’s return air ducts are the most important aspect of its HVAC system. Understanding how your vents work can help make your home more efficient and more comfortable.
How Your Vents Really Work
The HVAC system sucks in air through return air vent. The air goes through the air filter, which removes harmful particulates before the air reaches the blower fan and other HVAC components. Once the air is properly heated or cooled, it is then forced through the remainder of the vent system and out of the various air vents throughout your home.
Proper Placement is Important
Some HVAC systems rely on two different sets of return air vents – one located up high to gather warm air and another down low to collect cool air. In most cases, the bottom vents remain closed during the summer months while the top vents are closed during the winter.
Chairs, sofas, rugs, and other items placed in front of the return air ducts can reduce your HVAC system’s overall efficiency. For this reason, it’s important to keep items clear of the return vents at all times.
Clean Vents Equal a Healthy HVAC System
To prevent dirt and grime accumulation, it’s a good idea to clean your return air vents on a regular basis. You can remove and clean the grille with a soft brush and clean the actual duct with a vacuum cleaner fitted with a hand attachment. Don’t forget to change the air filter as needed.
Shutting the Vents Won’t Save You Money
Many homeowners still believe that shutting some of their vents can help save them energy. Closing these vents only raises the pressure within the ducts, disturbing efficient airflow while making various HVAC components work harder than they should to provide the same heating or cooling performance.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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