Should cold air returns be open or closed?
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.
Is it bad to block cold air return?
Blocking your cold air returns, whether intentionally or by accident, can be disastrous in more ways than one. Here’s what could happen if one or more of your returns are blocked: It can cause the evaporator coil to freeze over. The evaporator coil’s job is to absorb latent heat from air flowing over the coil.
Should cold air returns be sealed?
The cold air return ductwork is as important to your home’s heating and air conditioning as the lines coming out. Not only will it make your HVAC system work harder, it could also make you or your family members sick. Sealing the return ductwork helps keep the air in your home clean and breathable.
Should return vents be blocked?
Long story short: It’s never a good idea to cover up cold air returns. Don’t succumb to the temptation, and always check that air is circulating freely when you move furniture. If your HVAC system isn’t performing the way you would like, it might have other efficiency issues.
Where should cold air returns go?
Where are cold air returns located? Cold air returns are located on interior walls in a home, typically close to the floor or low on the wall. You want to make sure that cold air return vents are not blocked or covered by furniture so that your home can get proper air circulation.
Should every room have a cold air return?
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.
What happens if you block a return air vent?
Blocking air return vents causes your system to work harder, as there is less air flow to move the air back to the furnace. This continued strain on the HVAC system can lead to a decrease in performance and more HVAC repairs down the road.
Does every room need a cold air return?
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.
Can you close off a cold air return?
Identifying Return Vents The location of return vents is usually on interior walls in most of your rooms except the kitchen and bathrooms. Your return vents are usually larger than your supply vents. They don’t have louvers like registers do, which means you can’t open and close them.
What does a cold air return vent do?
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.