After thinking about this a bit I am curious whether new homes now
offer two things that I think would improve they way air returns
work in forced-air systems. In my ancient home I of course lack these...

1. Filters located at the entry of the air-returns rather than just
before the furnace blower, so that your ductwork will get less dirty
over the years.

2. Two level air returns, that can be closed, with one at the floor
and one at the ceiling, so that in the Summer you would open the
return at the ceiling and in the Winter you would open the one at the
floor.

On Monday, August 1, 2016 at 2:28:36 PM UTC-4, Davej wrote:
After thinking about this a bit I am curious whether new homes now
offer two things that I think would improve they way air returns
work in forced-air systems. In my ancient home I of course lack these...

1. Filters located at the entry of the air-returns rather than just
before the furnace blower, so that your ductwork will get less dirty
over the years.


I've heard of these, but never seen them. I've seen a few new construction
homes around here, expensive ones, and all had filters only at the furnace,
electronic ones.


2. Two level air returns, that can be closed, with one at the floor
and one at the ceiling, so that in the Summer you would open the
return at the ceiling and in the Winter you would open the one at the
floor.

I've never seen that either. I have seen return in the ceiling, but
only for large homes where one furnace is in the attic for the upstairs
part.

On Mon, 1 Aug 2016 11:28:31 -0700 (PDT), Davej
wrote:

After thinking about this a bit I am curious whether new homes now
offer two things that I think would improve they way air returns
work in forced-air systems. In my ancient home I of course lack these...

1. Filters located at the entry of the air-returns rather than just
before the furnace blower, so that your ductwork will get less dirty
over the years.

2. Two level air returns, that can be closed, with one at the floor
and one at the ceiling, so that in the Summer you would open the
return at the ceiling and in the Winter you would open the one at the
floor.
The second is becoming more common. The first is not a good idea
because restricting the inlet to the ducts will put the whole return
duct at a lower pressure, causing it to pull dirt etc in through the
gaps

There is more to your HVAC system than switching it on and off. Reusable air filters can be used as they can be cleaned and replaced every one to three months. They are available in various dimensions and can fit a wide range of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system vents and cold air returns. Reusable air filters can save you time and money on HVAC maintenance and repair for many years to come. For more info consult heating contractors NJ professionals.