This is different than supply vents-they usually have registers on them. Return vents usually have grilles on them. If the paper gets sucked toward the vent, then its a return vent.Īnother way to tell is by inspection. One way is to hold a piece of toilet paper up to the vent.

So you’ve found an air vent, but how do you confirm whether its a return vent or a supply vent? So putting the return vent in the ceiling makes the most sense since it will have a direct path to the return duct in the attic. Generally, the specific location of return air vents is due to cost rather than energy efficiency.įor instance, a home might have its return air vents in the ceiling because the ductwork runs in the attic of the home. Newer homes usually have several small air return vents located around the home-such as the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, etc. Usually it’s located in a hallway, but could be somewhere else such as in the living room. Most older homes (pre-1990) have one big air return vent located centrally somewhere in the home. I’ll also discuss whether you should block a return air vent and the difference between an air vent register and grille. In this article, I’ll go over return air vents and their location. This is done by sucking in air from the inside of your home, filtering and cooling/heating it, and then blowing it back into your home.īut where does your HVAC system suck in air from your home? And how does the air intake location affect the climate in your home? Your home’s HVAC system is responsible for keeping a comfortable climate in your home.

Air conditioning vent adjustment