Have you ever stopped to try and figure out what those openings on the floors and ceilings in your home are for? Your home is made up of a network of ducts behind the walls. These ducts all connect to rooms in your home and are the pathway that work to cycle air to and from your heating and cooling system. Your heating and air conditioning system works with the ductwork and relies on supply and return vents to do its job.
Supply & Return Vent Air Temperature & Other Differences
Your heating and air conditioning system blows conditioned air into the rooms in your home. When the air handler is on, it works by blowing air into the rooms and sucking it out. The supply vents are the covers on openings in your wall or ceiling that the conditioned air is blown out. The air will move through the ductwork and out the supply vents. These are the vents that you feel conditioned air coming out of. The return vents are also covers for the openings in your walls or ceilings. The difference here is, they are connected to the return ducts. When the air handler is working, it’s job is to suck the air from the rooms and into the return vents. This air is taken back to the heating and cooling system. The return vents are larger than the supply vents and you will not feel air coming out of these vents.
Does the Design of the HVAC Ductwork Affect Supply and Return Vents?
The amount of air that is blown out of the ducts should be equal to the amount that is sucked back in. This maintains a relatively balanced environment within the ducts of your home. This is what the heating and cooling system is designed to do. If there aren’t the right amount of supply and return vents, there will be a problem with pressure inside the ducts. This pressure will be put out of balance and lead to less comfort and efficiency inside your home. Qualified contractors are a must when heating and cooling systems are installed because they take exact measurements of the airflow in your home to design and install the right system.
Ensuring the Best Performance of your Supply and Return Vents
Having the right amount of supply and return vents in your home is the best way to make sure they both work the way they’re supposed to. There are other steps you can take to make sure they work efficiently. The supply and return vents need to be left clear of blockages. Make sure you don’t move furniture and other objects on top of or in front of the return and supply vents. The air will flow much easier if you keep the vents clear. Try not to close supply vents in rooms that you may not be using. This will increase the pressure inside the ductwork and cause the same issues that poor duct designs cause. If you aren’t using some of the rooms in your home, you can save energy by sectioning those rooms off and setting up zones by using a zoning system.
Heating & Cooling Services in Springfield, Granby, Holyoke, South Hadley, Monson, Chicopee & Agawam Massachusetts
Your home will be more comfortable if you understand the process and the roles that supply and return vents play in heating and cooling. Contact Ambient Heating & Air Conditioning for any questions you have on these vents or any issues you might be having with your heating and cooling system.
