How to install a return air vent?
Installing Cold Air Return In 2×4 Wall (Example)
- Measure the centerline. Have a look at your ductwork and measure the centerline from the part of the 2×4 wall that is closest to the parallel wall.
- Mark the duct. Measure the duct. After you know how wide the duct is, measure 1/2 of that distance from the centerline.
- Cut the stud.
- Install the ducts. Fill the spaces between two studs. ...
How to install return air duct in basement?
You require a combination of tools to install ductwork in a basement and here they are:
- Tape measure
- Tin snips
- Drill
- Caulk gun
- Screwdriver
- Paper sheets
- Work gloves
- Sheet metal ductwork
- Pencil
- Safety glasses
Does return air have to equal supply air?
With a return and supply in each room it’s important for them to be of an equivalent size so that the room is not over or under pressured. For homes that have one or two main return ducts located in a hall or a great room, those returns should be equal in size to all the supplies throughout the home.
Can you use flexible duct for your return air?
You can use flex ducts for your return ducts. However, you have to make sure it fulfills all the necessary criteria. These include pressure checks, proper wrapping, and marking, airflow control, etc. In this article, we’re going to discuss everything you need to know about flex ducts.
What is the difference between supply and return air?
Supply vents are usually found high up on the walls in your home, or on the ceiling. Return Vents: These air vents suck air from the rooms in your home back into your HVAC system. They are typically larger in size than supply vents and you will not feel air blowing out of them.
Where is my return air duct?
Often referred to as high/low vents, ducts, and grilles, return registers are pairs of registers located near the ceiling and floor of rooms throughout your home. They contain slatted openings. You can recognize these registers because they are usually bigger than a supply vent.
Are return air ducts required?
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.
How do I know if my vent is supply or return?
An easy way to determine which vents in your home are supply vents is to put your hand over them when your heater or AC system is on. Return Vents- Like your supply vents, the return vents in your home are also covered openings in your walls. The difference is that they are connected to your HVAC system's return ducts.
What happens if a return vent is blocked?
What Happens When A Return Vent Is Blocked? Very similar to blocking a heat register, blocking an air return vent restricts the air flow in your home. Blocking air return vents causes your system to work harder, as there is less air flow to move the air back to the furnace.
What does a return vent look like?
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.
How many return vents should a house have?
Ideally, every room except the kitchen and bath should have its own return air grille. At the very least, each level of the house should have one. Even so, many homes were built with just one or even no return ducts in an attempt to cut costs.
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. They must be properly sized — Return air ducts must be large enough to carry a sufficient amount of expended air back to your furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump.
How much does it cost to install a return air duct?
A return air drop replacement will run around $300-$400, including installation. In rare cases where a second drop needs to be added, the cost can be up to twice that amount.
Does every return vent need a filter?
In general, it is recommended to have an air filter in every return vent (as long as you choose the one of the right size and thickness). The filters will improve the air quality in your house and will protect the HVAC equipment from dust, pollen, pet dander, and hair.
Why is my return air vent dirty?
Here are some of the most common culprits: Your air ducts are leaking. Cracked or damaged air ducts can allow contaminants to enter your system and cause your filter to clog up. They can also significantly increase your energy bills.
Why is air coming out of my return vent?
Rooms that are far from the HVAC unit will have a lower airflow. In essence, an HVAC unit generates high air pressure. Close to the unit, the pressure will still be high, and you will see air blowing from the return vent.
How many return air vents should a house have?
Ideally, every room except the kitchen and bath should have its own return air grille. At the very least, each level of the house should have one. Even so, many homes were built with just one or even no return ducts in an attempt to cut costs.
Which side is the return on a package unit?
For the last several years when standing behind the equipment with you and the duct openings facing the house supply is on the right and return on left.
Do cold air returns have ductwork?
The cold air return ductwork is as important to your home's heating and air conditioning as the lines coming out. While insulating the cold air return might not be important, sealing it is, for two reasons. One is that you want air recycled from the rooms you are heating or cooling.
Where is the cold air return on my furnace?
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.
What is return air duct?
Return air ducts channel air from rooms back to the air handler. They’re connected to the air grilles you might find on the walls or ceilings of your hallways and larger rooms. The return ducts help maintain good air circulation, preventing hot and cold spots, and keeping your rooms from feeling stuffy. Balanced airflow prevents indoor pressure ...
Why do return air ducts matter?
Return air ducts play a significant role in your home’s energy efficiency. Why Return Ducts Matter. Your duct system has two types of ducts: supply and return. The supply ducts channel conditioned air from the air handler out to the air registers in your rooms. That is, they supply your rooms with warm or cool air.
What to do if your home has no return ducts?
If you find your home has insufficient return ducts, ask a heating and cooling technician about adding more. In some cases, additional ducts can be installed in the wall cavities and connected with the main return duct. Depending on the construction of your home, however, your technician may opt for other methods. Door undercuts and transfer grilles can also help ensure sufficient return airflow.
Does every room in a house have a return air grill?
Optimizing Your Return Ducts. Ideally, every room except the kitchen and bath should have its own return air grille. At the very least, each level of the house should have one.
Can door undercuts help with return airflow?
Depending on the construction of your home, however, your technician may opt for other methods. Door undercuts and transfer grilles can also help ensure sufficient return airflow. Maintenance matters, too. Make sure your return grilles aren’t blocked by drapes, furniture or other items that could interfere with airflow.
What is return ductwork?
Return ductwork is carefully sized to match the capacity of the supply ductwork. The goal is to ensure that the returns remove the same amount of air as the supply ducts deliver, maintaining neutral air balance in each room. This is the optimal condition for efficient heating and cooling. Sometimes, however, that balance is upset:
What happens when a return duct leaks?
Leaky return ducts tend to pull outside air into the ductwork versus leaking air out. This adds extra air volume to the system, tipping air balance in the house from neutral to positive. Under positive pressure, conditioned air is pushed out of the house through tiny structural cracks and gaps, resulting in higher operating costs to maintain comfortable temperatures. Your HVAC contractor can test your ductwork for leakage and suggest duct sealing options.
What is the purpose of return air ducts?
The return air ducts also provide important functions for proper HVAC system operation. Here is a short list of what you should know about return air ducts. They bring air back to your HVAC equipment — The most important function of return air ducts is to bring expended air back to your HVAC equipment. This balances the airflow through the system ...
Why are return air ducts important?
They bring air back to your HVAC equipment — The most important function of return air ducts is to bring expended air back to your HVAC equipment. This balances the airflow through the system and ensures that there is plenty of air coming back to be reconditioned, filtered, and sent back out again through the supply ducts. If there is not enough return air available, your HVAC system will not heat or cool properly.
Why do you need to keep return air ducts sealed?
They must be kept in good condition — Return air ducts must be kept clean, tightly connected, and properly sealed to prevent particulates and other contaminants from being pulled into the airflow. Pollutants brought into the system in the returns have a greater likelihood of getting into your home's indoor air.
What happens if you don't have enough return air?
If there is not enough return air available, your HVAC system will not heat or cool properly. They must be properly sized — Return air ducts must be large enough ...
How many returns are needed for a furnace?
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.
Where should return ducts be placed?
They must be correctly placed and unobstructed — Return ducts are usually placed in hallways, under stairwells, or in larger open areas of your home. This placement ensures that they will be able to pull in enough air to take back to the HVAC equipment.
When was Air Assurance founded?
Since the company was founded in 1985 , Air Assurance has been providing professional HVAC services to customers in Broken Arrow. Contact us today for more information on return air ducts and their importance in the function of your home heating or cooling system.
How Do You Calculate Return Air Duct Size: 3 Step Guide
Calculating the return air duct size is simple. I’ve described the entire process in a few steps for your convenience. Just follow along.
Why Do You Need Return Air Ducts?
The return air duct (RAD) moves air from the room. It takes the air inside the room and feeds it into your air-conditioning system. Basically, the purpose of the return air duct is to circulate the air in your room.
Conclusion
I’ve provided the answer about how to calculate the return air duct size. Everything you need to consider and even the formulae you’ll need is all here.
Where should HVAC return air ducts be?
"An HVAC return air duct should be in every room except a bathroom and kitchen. They should be on interior walls across the room from the supply ducts that should be washing exterior walls with conditioned air."
Where to put return air?
It's best to put them on an interior wall across the room from the supply duct. © 2018 Tim Carter
Why does my furnace need return air?
The reason for return air is simple. Your furnace is simply a recirculating pump. Instead of pumping water, it is pumping air. We need to get the air back to the pump. Furthermore, without a return air duct in each major room, the supply duct air has to "push" all of the air in the room out of the way as it makes its way towards you.
What is the air duct in your house?
The air ducts in your house should be designed exactly like the blood vessels in your body. Think about it. The veins and arteries supplying blood to the different parts of your body, even out to your fingers and toes, are the same size as the veins and arteries returning that blood back to your heart.
What is the purpose of a return air grill?
The intent is to wash the exterior walls with heated or cooled air. You are trying to combat the heat or cold at its source. The single giant return air grill in the floor balances the load at the furnace motor but does nothing to promote cross-ventilation in each room.
How to get the most bang for your return air buck?
If you want to really have a way to get the most bang for your return air buck, think of installing grill covers on the wall that have operating louvers. This will allow you to choke down rooms possibly on the first floor that are drawing too much air.
How to size an air conditioner?
To properly size an air conditioner, one has to perform a heat gain calculation. In other words, you must determine how fast heat is getting into your house and what things inside the house are contributing to heat gain .
What is return air vent?
A: The return air vent is an integral part of your HVAC or AC system that keeps your home pressurized. It is where air is brought back (recycled) through your home’s heating and cooling system.
How does a return air vent work?
A: The return air vents work by absorbing the warm air along with the moisture and cooling it through the HVAC system. Or, by taking in cooler air to be heated.
What happens when an HVAC system blows air into your home?
As your HVAC system blows air into your home, it changes the air pressure inside the house. All this air needs to go somewhere, and this is when the return air vents come into play.
Is it important to compare return air vents?
Although it may not seem as important when you compare the return air vents to the other parts of the AC or heating system, you will soon learn their importance.
Do supply vents work?
A: No, supply vents work by blowing the cool air out and into the house while the return air vents take the hot air into the duct system, vice versa when you’re heating your house.
What is an AC duct?
Check this out – Air ducts, or HVAC ductwork, or AC ducts, are conduits that supply warm or cool air to heat, ventilate, and cool each room. Air ducts are connected to the HVAC unit which filters then heats or cools your home’s air before sending it off. Air ducts are a vital part of your HVAC system, providing thermal well-being and good indoor air quality to your family.
How long do air ducts last?
Your airducts experience wear and tear over time when air is ricocheting off the walls, so unfortunately, they don’t last forever. Expiration dates vary – metal ducts generally last longer than flex ducts because metal is more rigid and its surface allows air to glide, unlike the coil around flex ductwork. That said, the average air duct lifespan varies from 15 to 25 years. ( Air Duct Lifespan)
Why does my HVAC duct smell?
If your ductwork is clogged and it isn’t debris or Bruce Willis crawling through, then it might be pests. HVAC ductwork wear and tear creates spaces for rodents and bugs to make themselves at home and multiply. When this happens, you’ll hear noises or smell funk to go along with the blockage in air.
How does air flow change direction?
As air moves from a supply plenum or main duct into a takeoff, it changes direction. Airflow has a hard time making turns at high rates of speed, just as we would driving off the interstate and onto the off-ramp. We want a gradual and smooth turn since we’re moving really fast. Air flow is the same. When there is a change in air direction in a duct, it takes roughly 24 inches for airflow to restore its pattern. Takeoffs should thus be 24 inches away from any turns, transitions, or the end cap.
What is the best insulation level for air ducts?
In the summer, insulation prevents the cool air condensation that can lead to mold and mildew. In unconditioned spaces such as attics and crawl spaces, the recommended air duct insulation level is R-8. Believe it or not, most air ducts are only insulated at R-2.
How much of the air in ducts is escaping?
Up to 30 percent of the air in your ducts may be escaping. ( High Bills) When conditioned air leaks out or heated air is lost through under-insulated air ducts, the charges show up on your utility bill. The scary part is you probably won’t notice. You may eventually discover through a utility usage report that you are using way more electricity than other similar homes in your neighborhood.
What is a plenum?
Plenums, as we mentioned, are boxes connected to the heating or cooling unit that fill with hot or cool air and distribute or remove it, usually at a greater atmospheric pressure. A ductopus is a poorly designed radial system with air ducts coming off the plenum in all directions, like the tentacles of an octopus. When too many duct branches are connected, air flow is very bad.
