Fresh Air Return Ducts Help Your A/C Breathe Easier and Save Money

Your air conditioner is actually a breathing machine. It breathes in the air around your home, conditions it, then breathes out cool, dehumidified air. Unfortunately, your ductwork probably loses about 25-to-40 percent of the air that regularly passes through it. That lost air has to be replaced somehow. That’s where fresh air returns come in.

Fresh Air Returns Add Balance

To understand the importance of fresh air returns, you need to understand how your air conditioner operates. Air in your home moves from high pressure to low pressure. An air conditioner pushes it out at high pressure and draws it back in using low pressure. Balancing those pressures is how you keep a system efficient. Since air is inevitably lost through duct work, your system has no choice but to draw in air anywhere it can.

Without fresh air returns, your system pulls air from other sources to re-balance itself. Unfortunately, those sources bring trouble with them. Recessed can lights and soffit vents wind up being sources of air which means your A/C system is pulling dirt and debris into your A/C system which gets reticulated throughout your home. The result? More dust. More problems.

We helped HomeShow Radio with this video to explain the difference between a “return air” duct and a “fresh air return.” Both perform important duties in keeping your home comfortable. How balanced is your home? Absolute Comfort Air can measure your Houston home air conditioning system’s balance and design effective solutions to give you absolute comfort.