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What You Need to Know About Return Air Ducts

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return air ducts in a home's hvac unit

The ductwork system in your home consists of two types of ducts: supply and return ducts. The supply ductwork carries the heated or cooled air from your HVAC equipment to your indoor spaces. 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 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.
  • 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. 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.
  • 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.
  • 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. These pollutants can also overwhelm air filters, dirtying filters and reducing their effectiveness.

Air Assurance Can Help

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.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).