Why Return Air Is So Important to Your Home’s HVAC Unit

We tend to think of vents as blowing air into our homes. However, some vents work the opposite way, drawing air out of your home. Here’s how return air vents work, why they’re important, and how to help yours function efficiently.

How Return Air Vents Work

When your HVAC system blows heated or cooled air into a room, it uses the supply vents. This helps your home reach its ideal comfort level. However, blowing air into the room increases pressure. To balance out that pressure, a fan on your HVAC unit sucks the extra air back out through the return vent, pulling it back into your system to be heated or cooled again.

The return vent is also where the air gets filtered. Dust and debris can damage your system, so the filter eliminates those elements from the air before it reaches your unit. Eliminating allergens and other harmful contaminants before you can breathe them in is just an added bonus.

Maintaining Return Air Vents

Some homes rely on just one or two central return vents for the whole house. However, for maximum efficiency, you should ideally have one in every room. If your home does have just one return vent, be sure to keep the doors to all the other rooms open so air can circulate properly.

It’s also important not to block these vents. Sometimes furniture or other obstructions can get placed in front of them without you even realizing it, preventing the air from flowing back into your system. When air can’t circulate properly through your home, it becomes more difficult for your system to regulate the temperature properly. Your home will become less comfortable and your energy bills will go up. Additionally, the rise in pressure can lead to ductwork leaks.

Keep at least six inches of clearance around your vents, change your filters regularly, and wash the grilles every six months. This will help maximize efficiency for your HVAC system.

For more help with your home’s ventilation and understanding return air, contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning. We provide quality home comfort for Lorain, Elyria, and Oberlin.