Have you ever thought about the fact that your furnace or heat pump needs to be fed as much air as it ends up distributing in your home? Incoming air is delivered by the duct return, a network of ducts that returns air to the air handler so that it can be heated or cooled again. A properly designed return system maximizes airflow to your HVAC unit and decreases wear and tear on your unit, prolonging its lifespan.
Here are three design tips to get the most airflow out of your central return system.
1. For maximum airflow, you will need grilles or ducts installed in each room. This will ensure proper airflow. Undercutting doors by an inch is usually not a good solution.
2. A return should be installed on each level of a house. A duct that has to work extra to pull air from an upper story may cause your air handler to work too hard.
3. Returns located high in a room when cooling is a priority, and lower when heating is a priority, improve the temperature evenness in room air.
The location of returns isn’t as much of a consideration in a climate like ours. With roughly an equal number of heating and cooling days, minimizing the length of duct returns and making sure they don’t detract from the looks of the room become the biggest factors.
If you have any duct return questions, contact Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing. We’re proud to serve the Indianapolis area and can help you design the best heating and cooling system for your home.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!
