What Do Air Ducts & Air Vents Do?
Air ducts and air vents serve an important function in your home. They make up an intricate part of its main ventilation, heating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Without this system, your home would be unable to receive sufficient air at the temperature you would like.
Air Ducts
The purpose of an air duct network is to guide the air that enters through the air vents to the main heating or cooling component of your central air unit. In addition, the air ducts also help guide air that has been heated or cooled back out of the air vents throughout the home. This system ensures that every part of your home receives the right amount of temperature-controlled air.
Air Vents
Air vents are the metal plates found over the holes throughout the home that are responsible for letting the air in the home enter and exit the air ducts. There are two different types of air vents that do this: supply and return vents.
Types of Air Vents
- Supply vents suck in air that goes through the air ducts that finally ends up at the main heating or cooling unit.
- Return vents circulate the air back into your home. After the unit changes the temperature of the air to reflect the temperature on your thermostat, the air is brought back through the air ducts and out of the return air vents, which allow the temperature-controlled air back into the home.
This is all a simultaneous process, which means that the air in your home is constantly circulating air through this system. Because the air duct and vent system are always working when the thermostat kicks in, it is important to often have them maintained and cleaned properly at least every 3 to 5 years. Not doing so can result in a build-up of dust and other pollutants that can affect the air quality of your home.
Call Lone Star Pro Services at (832) 990-9499 or contact us online if you have more questions about your home’s ventilation system!