Return Air Vent Efficiency and Proper Placement

The best way to improve the return air vent efficiency is to check your furnace filter for dirt, animal hair or mold, which usually flies around a household. If the filter is too old, it is better to change it to improve the efficiency of your vent. It is recommended that you change these devices at least every 6 months.

How Do They Work?

Cold air return vents are the vents that supply the room cooled air back to the furnace for reheating. A return vent sucks air, usually from somewhere in the middle of the room or house and delivers the air to the heating/air conditioning system which uses heated coils to increase the temperature of the air. The warm air is then forced through a ducting system and through the air vents in the room. Cold air return vents are usually located lower on the walls since the warmer air will naturally rise.

Using Proper Vents

Another good way to improve return air ventilation is to use grills that do not block the air flow. Use vents which have wide breadth and also ample slits to allow air to pass. The size of the return vent depends upon the size of the room and the duct work that moves the air and in some larger space more than one return vent will be required. A good rule is to say that you need as much return air as supply air.

It is more efficient to have a return vent in every room to allow for maximum air return. It seems more popular to leave smaller rooms without the return vents and centralize them in the house. This will work but is not the most effective way to properly heat a whole house.

Proper Placement

Another important factor is whether or not the vent is being obstructed. Sometimes due to faulty placement, the vents get blocked by rugs, couches or some other piece of furniture. The proper placement of a return air vent has many factors but keeping in mind the use for the space will be helpful. Some venting systems have two sets of return vents, one up high and one low to the floor. The high vents stay closed in the summer and the low vents stay closed in the winter. Since cold air sinks it makes sense to have the return lower so that the cooler air is collected from the room for heating and recirculation.

Shutting the Vents

Another popular misconception about vents is that, by shutting some vents around the house, you can improve on the efficacy of the vent. By shutting down vents, however, the pressure in the circulating system goes up, causing more harm than good. The best way to ensure efficiency is to put vents in the rooms which you use the most and also by placing the supply registers strategically. This planning needs to be done when you are setting up the heating system, and can not be changed later on. While fitting the vents make sure that the size is right. The size of the vent is determined by the room in which it is being used.

Regular Cleaning

The last step in ensuring return air efficiency is to make sure that the vents and the duct systems are cleaned on a regular basis. The biggest impedance to air return is dirt and grime which gets stuck to the grills of the vent and ducts. On a regular basis, you can use your vacuum cleaner to clean the grills. But once in a while, it is advisable to get professional cleaners to do the job.