When it comes to heating your home, you have a variety of options. One type is the air return furnace. This is a heater that sends hot air from the central system up through air ducts and into various rooms of the house. It’s known as an air return furnace because the cold return air comes back through another duct system and returns to the furnace. With this article, you will learn more about how an air return furnace works and if it’s right for your heating needs. Keep reading to learn more!
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What Is an Air Return Furnace?
An air return furnace is a type of forced-air furnace that is designed to deliver warm air throughout your home. This means that there is a motor that pushes the air around. This requires more energy but is more efficient as the air keeps moving in a loop. It’s called an air return furnace because cold air is pulled back through another duct system and then returned to the furnace to be reheated.
Air return furnaces are an alternative to a warm air furnace. Warm air furnaces don’t have air return ducts, so the warm air is being blown directly into rooms through vents.
Air return furnaces are a great choice for homes that have unheated rooms, such as a basement or garage. These rooms may not get warm enough with a warm air furnace because the warm air won’t travel far enough from the furnace. Air return furnaces are also a good choice if you live in a climate with cold winters. In these regions, warm air furnaces can make the indoor air too hot and uncomfortable during the summer. It also works well in houses with bigger rooms.
How Does an Air Return Furnace Work?
Air return furnaces heat the air in your home with hot air that is dispersed through a series of ducts. The warm air is distributed to different rooms by using air ducts and vents. Air return furnaces have a separate system for cold air.
In this system, cold air is pulled back through a duct system and sent to the furnace to be reheated.
Air return furnaces have a few different benefits, including:
– Better temperature control – Air return furnaces are much better at maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature than warm air furnaces. That’s because they have a separate system for cold air and hot air. This allows you to adjust the temperature of each duct system separately. Warm air furnaces, on the other hand, are designed to send a steady flow of hot air into each room.
– Improved air quality – Air return furnaces are better for indoor air quality than warm air furnaces. Warm air furnaces circulate indoor air less often than air return furnaces. The circulation of air helps to remove pollutants and dust from the air as there are filters in the system that can remove these.
– Higher efficiency: the air can be circulated and in some homes, this improves the efficiency.
How to Choose an Air Return Furnace?
Before installing an air return furnace in your home, there are a few things you should consider. The most important of these is whether or not an air return furnace is right for your home. If you live in a climate that does not get extremely cold, or your home is already well insulated, an air return furnace may not be necessary. In these cases, you’ll most likely be better off with a warm air furnace.
If you do decide to invest in an air return furnace, you’ll want to make sure you choose the right model. You’ll want to consider the square footage of your home. Bigger houses will require a more powerful furnace. Air return furnaces also require a lot of clearance in the room where they are installed. You’ll want to make sure there is enough space above the furnace for the air return ducts.
The drawback of an Air Return Furnace
There really isn’t a major drawback to investing in an air return furnace.
-If you have an air return furnace, it is important that you don’t close the inlet. A lot of people want to do this but this can make your system break down as it doesn’t get enough inflow. This might limit the amount of furniture that you can place in a room. These inlets are often installed near the floor and can be visible.
-These systems might use more electricity if your rooms are not that big. They might be quite noisy as well.
-These systems are more expensive to install and the ductwork takes up space in your home. Therefore it is generally installed in bigger houses. It is difficult to install this system as you have to break open floors and walls. Therefore it is only done when a house is gutted.
-These systems require more maintenance. The ducts need to be cleaned often and it is important that dust is removed from them. It also requires more filters and these have to be replaced regularly. Plumbers can help you with this if needed.
As you can see, these systems have quite a lot of drawbacks as well. It is not the best option for every house or situation. Your plumber can provide you with advice to find the best option for your home.
Conclusion
Air return furnaces are an excellent choice for your home if you live in a climate with cold winters. They are designed to spread warm air throughout your home quickly. They are safer than warm air furnaces because they have a separate system for cold air. Air return furnaces are an excellent choice for your home if you live in a climate with cold winters. They are designed to distribute warm air throughout your home quickly. They are safer than warm air furnaces because they have a separate system for cold air.
Source
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/furnaces-and-boilers
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/furnace
