QandAs: Home

What is an Air Return?

Answer:
If you think of a central heating and cooling system

as the lungs of a home, then it inhales through an air return and exhales through an air register. The air return draws older air out of a room and returns it to the heating or cooling unit through ductwork.

A properly-sized air return is one of the most important elements of a central heating and cooling system. The heater or air conditioner produces treated air, which is pumped into various rooms through ducts and ultimately an air register. Once this air has reached a neutral temperature and is no longer heating or cooling the space, it is drawn back to the central unit to be heated or cooled again. If the air return is too small to handle the amount of cold air being returned, the system can become very inefficient. A small air register may not provide sufficient hot or cool air to a room, but a small air return would be the equivalent of a person with asthma trying to run a marathon race without medication. The central heating and air conditioning unit needs as much air as possible in order to produce a sufficient amount of treated air for delivery.

An air return is generally located along a wall or in the floor, much like an air register. There could be a screen or filter protecting the open end of the air return, and HVAC experts generally suggest keeping the area around the cold air return as clear as possible. An air return should not be blocked by furniture or covered up with wallpaper or other impermeable materials. If there is an accessible filter, it should be cleaned or replaced regularly to keep the air flowing smoothly. An HVAC technician may perform a thorough inspection and cleaning of the air return ductwork, especially if the system is making unusual noises or having difficulty producing a sufficient amount of treated air.


	more Q&A sessions like this
	What is Ductwork? How do you install a Dehumidifier? How do you Install a Humidifier? What is Central AC? What is HVAC? What is an Air Register? What is Combustion Air? What does an HVAC Contractor do? What is an A/C or Air Conditioning? What does an Attic Fan do? What are the Top Cities for HVAC Technician Careers? What does an HVAC Technician do? What is a HVAC Technician's Salary?