I recently went to a house that was remodeled and they had these style registers (vents) in every room for supply and return. The furnace kept shutting down on high limit because the airflow returning to the furnace was sooo restricted. Customer gave me approval to cut out this style on the return and it solved that problem. But the system still had high static pressure. To all homeowners, don’t sacrifice function for looks.
This return has a major problem, I'm a Nate certified Ac tech. I've worked on refrigerated systems chillers and low temp units for most of my life , it will not flow the same air flow as the system is meant to have. If you install this while it will look good, the airflow into your unit will decrease causing it to freeze up, add head pressure to your compressor and eventually cause your ac compressor to fail. Things like this need to be done by professionals because airflow is the most important thing for hvac to work properly.
Agreed. All that decorative, designer crap is form over function. My winter return vent was stuck open earlier this year in my bedroom and it was hot and humid in there. I fixed it so it would close and it is now perfect in there. If the wrong return being stuck open did that, I could not imagine what practically no return would do. The previous owner of my house installed those stupid designer vents on my first floor. All they did was heavily impede airflow and direct it upward. My first floor had hot, cold, dry and humid zones all over the place. I replaced them with regular vents and the problem disappeared. In fact, it was a night and day difference almost immediately. Moral of the story, designer HVAC vents are garbage.
would this have the same negative impact on a natural gas furnace? I live where we don't need A/C (not common in homes here) but definitely need central heat!
@@caitkacz typically when the furnace is on, the fan is on a slower speed than the ac side. Ideally there is a temperature split that us acceptable anywhere between 40 go 70 degrees. The risk of lowered airflow across the heater is that the chamber inside ( that directs burnt fuel and carbon monoxide out) can crack If run outside of designed temperature range. In some cases an hvac tech can wire in a medium speed to lower the temperature of outgoing air but the best solution is always to have a properly designed air duct system. In my opinion this return duct is not that
Hey Einstein, the air return is supposed to be completely open with a filter installed so the heat can be drawn into the air handler. Now your customer will be calling the A/C repairman out, and he's gonna be pissed when he sees the stupid move you did.
Now use your favorite oscillating cutting tool and cut all those little flaps out so you have a nice big vent hole and cover it with a grate so your air system doesn't have to fight against the plugged up intake and will last longer.
What is a point of putting that giant ugly thing in when 90% of it is blocked? You could have put something a fraction of that size in and it would have worked even better and not been nearly as noticeable.
I keep watching videos of these darn things being installed with no one showing me the before and after static pressures. Are absolutely no hvac professionals buying these and testing them?
Are there filters that fit in behind the removable clip on piece? The vents I have currently have filters behind them. I’m wanting to modernize my home and this would be something I’m looking at, as well as the ceiling registers. I just don’t want to choke out my furnace.
These do not have a built in spot for a filter, unfortunately. You can check their spec sheet re. airflow (or consult an HVAC technician), as you may have to size up in order to achieve the necessary open free area your furnace requires 👍
Hello! Big fan of your videos and installed the aria flight light switches. I want to do this as well! However i have a major problem, all of my vents and returns are on the wall just above the floor.. so if you could imagine bottom is above flooring and 2inches height x10 wide.. please help!
Hey, thanks! Yes, that’s going to be a bit of a challenge for sure. We’ve seen people cut off the bottom flange but it’s not really want it’s designed for👍
I think what would solve the restricted airflow was if the magnetic cover plate was covered in a breathable fabric in the same white color. It would still conceal the holes while maintaining the design and providing free air flow. The design would be similar to the fabric plates that cover the front of a speaker
That would theoretically make it a big air filter and eventually clog no different than any other filtration system. Return air is just that and that is a crazy small return in an odd location. That unit would have to make some noise. I have designer grills but I don’t think there is any way to dress that up.
We bought a house with all the air return vent covers with the insulation and carpet can you tell how bad is this not allowing air flow and what are the damages please
This is actually their air return cover, not their exhaust fan cover. I’ll post the link to that product below. It works with MOST fans, but not all. They list the compatible units on their site (we’ve never had a problem using it either 👍). ariavent.com/products/drywall-pro-x-exhaust-fan
There are air flow vents in the back panel that will be pushed open. I do not believe this was highlighted in the video causing some of the confusion and or ill informed comments.
@@timothyengland7781 That is great. I like the design too specially for a air return unit. Mine it's on the sealing so this may work. Thanks for the great vid and easy install instructions.
Good question! The cold air return in this instance is utilizing the unlined wall cavity (in other words the studs and drywall form the ‘ductwork’ for the air return). It’s common practice where we are, but also not up to code in some areas 👍
hi I got heat pump installed in 2 level house lounge is in ground floor with 3 200 diffusers blowing air to it but installer had install return air on upper level ceiling . the problem is it take 3 hours to heat that area . do I have to take return from ground level to circulate air
You mean the best air return WANNA BE that actually does not work as a return air duct? Lol.. Worthless!! But nice try! Next time make it the entire size of the wall for better flow.
@@RefreshHomeImprovements That is 100% wrong. Most Techs don't recommend putting the filter in the AC unit, but on the return openings. Having the filter on the AC unit greatly restricts the air going into the unit and shortens the life span of the AC unit.
@@RefreshHomeImprovements This is a DIY video but you didn't film nor reference punching out the holes in the back? Anyway, I think this is why you have so many people pointing out air flow issues.
Do not install these registers in your home as they dramatically reduce the airflow out of the register, which can damage your comfort equipment. It is advisable to consult with a professional HVAC technician to understand the impact of reduced airflow and increased static pressure on your comfort system.
It’s our understanding that they meet code, buts it’s always a good idea to check with your HVAC technician first 👍. Some more info on the air flow specs here: ariavent.com/pages/air-flow-specs
@@RefreshHomeImprovements Inspectors are not concerned about proper sizing of forced air system components. I am confused as to why you would claim "they meet code". I looked up their air-flow-specs. Thank you for sharing them. The Aria 14" x 14" Drywall Pro X has an open air flow area of 32.4 square inches. 32.4sq" equates to ~17% net free ventilation area. Compare this to a commonly used high performance grille type is cube-core. A 14x14 cube-core grille has a net free ventilation area of 84%. Starving a cooling system of proper airflow could lead to a frozen evaporator coil; starving a heating system of proper airflow could lead to an overheated heat-exchanger and short-cycling of the system.
@@porkchop10 That is completely wrong. Your filters should be on the returns, not the small opening for the unit, for best airflow and longevity of your AC unit life.
You are absolutely clueless about air conditioning. The opening is likely designed to be 80% free area. Blocking 80% of the opening kills air conditioners and furnaces.was the look worth 1000's of dollars in repairs and higher utility costs?
Do not buy this useless return style vent. Return vents are made to allow as much air as possible to return to the AC/Furnace. Installing these modern vents, chokes down to return rate putting significant strain on your unit. These are fine for bathroom fans and possibly supply. But do not install unless you are looking to replace your units fan and motor. If you look at a return grille, they are an open style and the bars across are very thin. This is too allow massive amounts of air flow. I know the data sheet says it will perform, but this data sheet does not know the area of your home. It does not know your AC/Furnace, it does not know many factors of your mechanical system. It would be best to consult your HVAC Tech, they will more than tell you that have to run a test on a computer system with your furnace and area of the home.
I recently went to a house that was remodeled and they had these style registers (vents) in every room for supply and return. The furnace kept shutting down on high limit because the airflow returning to the furnace was sooo restricted. Customer gave me approval to cut out this style on the return and it solved that problem. But the system still had high static pressure. To all homeowners, don’t sacrifice function for looks.
This is 100% correct.
This return has a major problem, I'm a Nate certified Ac tech. I've worked on refrigerated systems chillers and low temp units for most of my life , it will not flow the same air flow as the system is meant to have. If you install this while it will look good, the airflow into your unit will decrease causing it to freeze up, add head pressure to your compressor and eventually cause your ac compressor to fail. Things like this need to be done by professionals because airflow is the most important thing for hvac to work properly.
Thoughts on this test? ua-cam.com/users/shortsw-yfFagpMHc
Agreed. All that decorative, designer crap is form over function. My winter return vent was stuck open earlier this year in my bedroom and it was hot and humid in there. I fixed it so it would close and it is now perfect in there. If the wrong return being stuck open did that, I could not imagine what practically no return would do.
The previous owner of my house installed those stupid designer vents on my first floor. All they did was heavily impede airflow and direct it upward. My first floor had hot, cold, dry and humid zones all over the place. I replaced them with regular vents and the problem disappeared. In fact, it was a night and day difference almost immediately.
Moral of the story, designer HVAC vents are garbage.
would this have the same negative impact on a natural gas furnace? I live where we don't need A/C (not common in homes here) but definitely need central heat!
@@caitkacz typically when the furnace is on, the fan is on a slower speed than the ac side. Ideally there is a temperature split that us acceptable anywhere between 40 go 70 degrees. The risk of lowered airflow across the heater is that the chamber inside ( that directs burnt fuel and carbon monoxide out) can crack If run outside of designed temperature range. In some cases an hvac tech can wire in a medium speed to lower the temperature of outgoing air but the best solution is always to have a properly designed air duct system. In my opinion this return duct is not that
looks like there were perforated section that are removable, he just didnt remove them
Hey Einstein, the air return is supposed to be completely open with a filter installed so the heat can be drawn into the air handler. Now your customer will be calling the A/C repairman out, and he's gonna be pissed when he sees the stupid move you did.
Pretty cool. I wonder if you could add some baffle material to that to cut the sound levels down.
Now use your favorite oscillating cutting tool and cut all those little flaps out so you have a nice big vent hole and cover it with a grate so your air system doesn't have to fight against the plugged up intake and will last longer.
😂👏
"Air return" and "cover" don't go together. Blocking the vent (or at least significant cross section of it, in this case) limits air flow.
What is a point of putting that giant ugly thing in when 90% of it is blocked? You could have put something a fraction of that size in and it would have worked even better and not been nearly as noticeable.
I keep watching videos of these darn things being installed with no one showing me the before and after static pressures. Are absolutely no hvac professionals buying these and testing them?
If you look at the website you wouldn't buy them either start out at $60 for the cheapest, and its all plastic.
That's like asking if a skydiver jumps without a parachute. Anyone in hvac can spot this snake oil.
nice job :) I loved those OOPS moments . . . . . .
Love hearing that! Thanks 👍
If it is an air return, how do you put in or replace the filter?
Great question! We don’t have filters behind every return in Canada. Just at the furnace👍
@@RefreshHomeImprovements How Canadian of you.
Are there filters that fit in behind the removable clip on piece?
The vents I have currently have filters behind them. I’m wanting to modernize my home and this would be something I’m looking at, as well as the ceiling registers.
I just don’t want to choke out my furnace.
These do not have a built in spot for a filter, unfortunately. You can check their spec sheet re. airflow (or consult an HVAC technician), as you may have to size up in order to achieve the necessary open free area your furnace requires 👍
Hello! Big fan of your videos and installed the aria flight light switches. I want to do this as well!
However i have a major problem, all of my vents and returns are on the wall just above the floor.. so if you could imagine bottom is above flooring and 2inches height x10 wide..
please help!
Hey, thanks!
Yes, that’s going to be a bit of a challenge for sure. We’ve seen people cut off the bottom flange but it’s not really want it’s designed for👍
I think what would solve the restricted airflow was if the magnetic cover plate was covered in a breathable fabric in the same white color. It would still conceal the holes while maintaining the design and providing free air flow. The design would be similar to the fabric plates that cover the front of a speaker
that’s a cool idea 👍
It would still restrict the airflow and it would clog up with dirt and dust.
That would theoretically make it a big air filter and eventually clog no different than any other filtration system. Return air is just that and that is a crazy small return in an odd location. That unit would have to make some noise. I have designer grills but I don’t think there is any way to dress that up.
We bought a house with all the air return vent covers with the insulation and carpet can you tell how bad is this not allowing air flow and what are the damages please
What about the air filter?
Great question- our air vents (in canada) don’t have filters on them.
Can I ask what brand of power sander you are using and where I can buy one?
Absolutely! The extractor is a Mirka, and the sanding head is called the Deos, you can get them here 👉 www.csrbuilding.com/refresh
@@RefreshHomeImprovements thank you for the information and please keep up the videos
This return has no filter?
correct, these do not (there is one on the HVAC unit itself though) 👍
I think our upstairs AC vent needs an upgrade
Love to hear it 😉
What air venting system fan goes with this?? Can it be used with any fan for the bathroom??
This is actually their air return cover, not their exhaust fan cover. I’ll post the link to that product below. It works with MOST fans, but not all. They list the compatible units on their site (we’ve never had a problem using it either 👍).
ariavent.com/products/drywall-pro-x-exhaust-fan
Just trying to figure out where the air flows (in), those little round holes?
There are air flow vents in the back panel that will be pushed open. I do not believe this was highlighted in the video causing some of the confusion and or ill informed comments.
@@timothyengland7781 That is great. I like the design too specially for a air return unit. Mine it's on the sealing so this may work. Thanks for the great vid and easy install instructions.
U didn’t open the vent Imean the back wall of the template ? Forgotten just not openable ?
Good eye 😉 . We left it closed to help minimize dust (we opened it later, off camera) 👍
why is there a stud visible in the return?
Good question! The cold air return in this instance is utilizing the unlined wall cavity (in other words the studs and drywall form the ‘ductwork’ for the air return). It’s common practice where we are, but also not up to code in some areas 👍
Should you use spackle or joint compound to finish the edges of the vent?
We’d recommend using joint compound for a job of this size 👍
You should not install it because it's terrible.
hi I got heat pump installed in 2 level house lounge is in ground floor with 3 200 diffusers blowing air to it but installer had install return air on upper level ceiling . the problem is it take 3 hours to heat that area . do I have to take return from ground level to circulate air
It's the best air return vent you'll Never see 🤣 I love how he laughs at himself too.
He’s his own biggest fan 😎😂
It's actually a terrible return. It has almost no air flow.
You mean the best air return WANNA BE that actually does not work as a return air duct? Lol.. Worthless!! But nice try! Next time make it the entire size of the wall for better flow.
Unless, maybe there's like a few dozen of these being installed off the same return? 😅
easy to install does a great job, not noisy at all. I really like it !
Glad you like it!
Where does the filter go?
Air return vents don't have filters
Good question! The filter is usually located in a slot built in to the side of your HVAC unit (not in the air returns themselves) 👍
@@Blake.Bowman They do if your house was built right.
@@RefreshHomeImprovements That is 100% wrong. Most Techs don't recommend putting the filter in the AC unit, but on the return openings. Having the filter on the AC unit greatly restricts the air going into the unit and shortens the life span of the AC unit.
It kind of look like he forgot to punch out the holes in the back of it so it can actually suck air
Good catch 😉. We intentionally left them shut until we finished the ‘dusty’ portion of the renovation 👍
@@RefreshHomeImprovements This is a DIY video but you didn't film nor reference punching out the holes in the back? Anyway, I think this is why you have so many people pointing out air flow issues.
I'm pretty sure you won't get the best air flow and the system will goes off because of overheating.
Worse than that, it will burn out your AC and you will be paying $12000 to have it replaced in middle of summer.
Loses a lot of return airflow very restrictive should keep in mind might cause problems down the road
Good tip 👍. We’ve never seen any problems with them, but we always recommend you check with your HVAC Specialist before installing.
NO FILTER? NO GOOD. It looks nice, though. Good video too.
Filter is at the furnace
That looks outstanding! How is the airflow? Such an elegant solution to the regular vent. Thanks for sharing!
Not good
According to this video, not bad: ua-cam.com/video/w-yfFagpMHc/v-deo.html
@@JefeDog Thank you...love to see the facts!
Looks really restrictive
In the video he didn’t actually open the vents in the back so it’s hard to judge visually what the airflow would be like
DIY - HOW TO BLOCK AIRFLOW 🚫
Do not install these registers in your home as they dramatically reduce the airflow out of the register, which can damage your comfort equipment. It is advisable to consult with a professional HVAC technician to understand the impact of reduced airflow and increased static pressure on your comfort system.
Didn’t take the back squares out…will block airflow
You know what makes your AC last a long time and work extra well? Plugging 90 percent of the return opening... Oh, wait, that's an idiotic idea.
Net Free Ventilation Area fail
It’s our understanding that they meet code, buts it’s always a good idea to check with your HVAC technician first 👍. Some more info on the air flow specs here: ariavent.com/pages/air-flow-specs
@@RefreshHomeImprovements Inspectors are not concerned about proper sizing of forced air system components. I am confused as to why you would claim "they meet code". I looked up their air-flow-specs. Thank you for sharing them. The Aria 14" x 14" Drywall Pro X has an open air flow area of 32.4 square inches. 32.4sq" equates to ~17% net free ventilation area. Compare this to a commonly used high performance grille type is cube-core. A 14x14 cube-core grille has a net free ventilation area of 84%. Starving a cooling system of proper airflow could lead to a frozen evaporator coil; starving a heating system of proper airflow could lead to an overheated heat-exchanger and short-cycling of the system.
Interesting video response: ua-cam.com/video/w-yfFagpMHc/v-deo.html
@@brianbesold9477 What he did in this video is basically put a GIANT cover of a very small hole. It's absolutely useless.
Where the filter ?
Good question👍 the filter is usually located in the HVAC unit itself, and not in the air return cover
Cold air returns don't have filters. Only in the rare case your actual HVAC unit doesn't have one before the air handler
@@porkchop10 That is completely wrong. Your filters should be on the returns, not the small opening for the unit, for best airflow and longevity of your AC unit life.
Looks good but not practical; in a year you spend $2400 on new compressor! Well at least it looks good :D
You are absolutely clueless about air conditioning. The opening is likely designed to be 80% free area. Blocking 80% of the opening kills air conditioners and furnaces.was the look worth 1000's of dollars in repairs and higher utility costs?
Hello frozen coil and choked air supply
Buyer beware. This guy is probably just a UA-cam influencer peddling a product.
Do not buy this useless return style vent. Return vents are made to allow as much air as possible to return to the AC/Furnace. Installing these modern vents, chokes down to return rate putting significant strain on your unit. These are fine for bathroom fans and possibly supply. But do not install unless you are looking to replace your units fan and motor. If you look at a return grille, they are an open style and the bars across are very thin. This is too allow massive amounts of air flow. I know the data sheet says it will perform, but this data sheet does not know the area of your home. It does not know your AC/Furnace, it does not know many factors of your mechanical system. It would be best to consult your HVAC Tech, they will more than tell you that have to run a test on a computer system with your furnace and area of the home.
Where does the filter go?
Good question 👍 For this model, there is no spot for a filter (the filter would be on your HVAC unit)
where does the filter go?