How Many Air Vents Should I Have In My Home?

Is the air not flowing throughout your home as well as it should? Or are you getting ready to get a new HVAC system installed? Before having it installed, it’s a good idea to know what your venting system will require. Installing additional vents can make the installation cost more, but it will be well worth it if you need more airflow! So how many air vents should you have in your home? Ask our AC pros! Let’s walk through how many air vents your house should have:

Size of Your Home

Generally, the size of your home determines how many vents you will need per room. If your room is larger than 100 square feet, you will need more than one vent (at least two) to really get adequate airflow to the room. If the room is smaller, you only need one.

Our favorite tip: Divide the number of air vents that you have in a room by the square footage in that room. In the end, you should have the exact number that you need for all the rooms in your home.

Related Reading: Does Your Home Need A Second AC Unit?

Air Changes

Our AC techs at Super Heat & Air use a variety of calculations to perfect the airflow through your AC system. We use this formula to determine how many times air enters a room in an hour through the HVAC unit which helps us balance the airflow in the room, or find the perfect ratio of air vents to room size. Using a standard airflow table, your bedroom should change its airflow five to six times per house, while a bathroom should have at least six to seven.

Cold Air Returns

You might not notice it, but when you shut your bedroom door while your AC is running, it can pressurize the room and not allow proper airflow. While cold air comes out of your AC vents, it moves throughout your home and re-enters the AC system through large filtered vents called cold air returns. The number of cold air returns in your home will depend on the size of your AC unit, ductwork, and size of your home.

Tip: You should clean the cold air return filters twice a year: Once before turning on the heat for the season, and again before turning on AC.

Increased Efficiency

To truly take full advantage of your AC system and allow it to run at peak efficiency, it is best to not shut bedroom doors or close vents when the system is in use. It doesn’t matter how few or how many vents your home has: if the AC can’t do its job properly, your house won’t be as cool, your electricity bill might be higher, and your AC unit will not be efficient. Keep rooms open to allow air to flow freely.

Call the Pros at Super Heat & Air

If you are noticing any changes in the performance of your AC system, it warrants a visit of a certified technician from Tampa AC repair company Super Heat & Air. If you think you need more vents in your home, or a new AC unit altogether, call us! Once you’ve scheduled a heating or air conditioning repair service with Super Heat & Air, we’ll be at your home within one hour or your service is free! Call us today! 813-322-6823