What could be worse than a room that won’t cool? How about if that room is your bedroom. It doesn’t have to be that way. A return air duct carries air back to your air conditioner. But, there’s a trick to doing it right.
Return air ducts explained
Return air ducts running back to your A/C and furnace help circulate air throughout your home. While it’s a good idea having them in many rooms, your kitchen and bathroom are probably best left unreturned.
Your HVAC system is basically a reticulating pump. As with any pump, you need to get supply back to it—in this case, air. The return air makes it easier for your system to push cool air (or warm during winter) into a room by allowing the air in the room an escape back into the system.
How much is enough?
Think of your HVAC system like a checking account. As long as more is coming in than going out, you’ll be fine. If your heating and cooling supply side is sending the proper amount, you should have more on the return. Mark Shelton at Absolute Comfort Air says an ideal installation would have a return in each bedroom where the door will be closed at night. The return air will keep from pressurizing the room and forcing treated air out of the home.
