Good air circulation isn’t always easy to get in Eastern North Carolina’s humid climate, but having the right vent types will help you enjoy a more comfortable indoor environment and lower heating and cooling bills.

Enough of the Right Vent Types

Your home uses three vent types: supply, return, and exhaust. Supply vents let warm or cool air into your rooms, return vents take room air back to the HVAC air handler, and exhaust vents remove stale air from your house. Return vents promote good air circulation, help keep temperatures even, and improve your system’s energy efficiency by reducing the amount of work the system has to do.

As important as return vents are, though, many homes are built with too few of or even none of these vent types. You don’t necessarily need one in every room, but you’ll benefit from having several in strategic places around the house. Also, keep the doors to each room open so air can properly circulate.

Efficient Vent Covers

Vent covers also affect your HVAC system’s efficiency. Covers are available as grilles (which only cover the opening) and registers, which cover the opening and include an adjustable damper used to direct airflow. Registers are more helpful because they let you direct air away from walls and toward seating areas.

For optimal airflow, choose metal covers. Metal louvers can be thin yet still strong enough to do their job, which leaves most of the vent opening free for airflow. Plastic covers are the next-best option. Wood vent covers, often chosen to blend in with wood floors, are the least efficient. The louvers in these covers are often so thick they block half the airflow. Regardless of material, some decorative covers with intricate patterns can inhibit airflow, so if you opt for decorative models, choose those that maximize open space.

To learn more about optimizing your comfort with the right vent types, contact us at Jackson & Sons