How to Increase Airflow Through Upstairs Vents
Introduction
We would not need to vent or circulate the upstairs in a perfectly air-sealed home. Having the bedrooms above the living area is not ideal for ventilation; however, if you live in an older home and wish to keep it, small tweaks can be made to allow for more airflow into your house. In this article, I will discuss increasing airflow through upstairs vents. So let us get started.
Why Increase Airflow Through Upstairs Vents?
When you have a forced-air heating system, vents provide fresh air to the house while circulating stale air out. There is no increase in airflow in the upstairs vents, indicating that either the blower is not running or your ductwork has a blockage. While this does not always indicate a serious problem, it should still be inspected as soon as possible.
Your HVAC system is constantly circulating contaminated air throughout the home and trying to replace it with cleaner air from outside through open windows and doors, fans, and vents. In addition, when a forced-air furnace senses higher levels of oxygen versus carbon dioxide (a dangerous condition), it will turn on an auxiliary blower specifically designed to pull in cooler outside air to dilute the carbon dioxide.
This type of system is called an air-moving, or positive-pressure, furnace because it pushes air through the ductwork by blowing in more than is taken out. Most homes in the United States rely on this forced-air system for heating and cooling. Unfortunately, when there is no increase in airflow in your upstairs vents, it can indicate a serious problem.
Airflow from each floor registers independently at any given time, so you have to look at all registers if you want to know how much total airflow there is in your home right now.
Reasons Behind Low Airflow
There are many reasons why there may be no increase in airflow through upstairs vents, and we will address some of them below:
The first reason that may occur is that if the upstairs floor vents are blocked, they will not allow air to pass. This could be caused by leaves or debris in the vent’s opening. Another possibility is that the screens have become damaged and are no longer functioning properly. The screen needs to fit tightly over the vent to work properly; otherwise, bugs will be allowed into your home through this opening. If a cover is on top of your vent, take it off to increase air passage.
An additional cause of low ventilation flow could be multiple splits throughout your home entering into one main duct system. Air must travel down each branch duct; at every split, it is divided between multiple vents.
This reduces airflow and causes the downstairs vents to have a higher pressure than the upstairs floor vent. The solution here is to install an additional return air supply register on each level of your home in addition to the split on the main duct that feeds into all of them.
If there are recessed lights located near your registers, they can be a cause for low ventilation flow as well. If you notice that there’s no increase in airflow through upstairs floor vents despite having everything else properly set up, take out any nearby light fixtures and see if the problem persists. Keep in mind. However, this may not solve every case since some homes are restricted with a low ceiling height.
Step-wise Guide on How to Increase Airflow Through Upstairs Vents
Remove Vent Covers:
Removing a vent cover is simple and can be done with your hands. Just pull it out from the wall and remove it using both hands for safety precautions. You can also use the back of your hand to push down on the center metal bar to remove it more easily.
Clean Outside Vent:
Take a vacuum cleaner, brush, or cloth to clean around the outside of vent covers and vents that are usually coated with years’ worth of dust or pet hair that clogs up airways inside vents, reducing their airflow rate.
Clean Outside Vent:
Take a vacuum cleaner, brush, or cloth to clean around the outside of vent covers and vents that are usually coated with years’ worth of dust or pet hair that clogs up airways inside vents, reducing their airflow rate.
Clean Outside Vent:
Take a vacuum cleaner, brush, or cloth to clean around the outside of vent covers and vents that are usually coated with years’ worth of dust or pet hair that clogs up airways inside vents, reducing their airflow rate.
Clean Outside Vent:
Take a vacuum cleaner, brush, or cloth to clean around the outside of vent covers and vents that are usually coated with years’ worth of dust or pet hair that clogs up airways inside vents, reducing their airflow rate.
Clean Outside Vent:
Take a vacuum cleaner, brush, or cloth to clean around the outside of vent covers and vents that are usually coated with years’ worth of dust or pet hair that clogs up airways inside vents, reducing their airflow rate.
Clean Outside Vent:
Take a vacuum cleaner, brush, or cloth to clean around the outside of vent covers and vents that are usually coated with years’ worth of dust or pet hair that clogs up airways inside vents, reducing their airflow rate.
Clean Outside Vent:
Take a vacuum cleaner, brush, or cloth to clean around the outside of vent covers and vents that are usually coated with years’ worth of dust or pet hair that clogs up airways inside vents, reducing their airflow rate.
Precautions While Performing How to Increase Airflow Through Upstairs Vents
Airflow can be increased through the upstairs vents with some safety tips:
A service technician always recommends removing the cover and cleaning the fans in a fireplace or wood-burning stove. Be sure there are no flames before opening a damper – open it slowly to avoid slamming it shut if you have a fire. Be careful when stacking wood because sparks can fly out of an opening in front of an upstairs vent.
Do not obstruct the air intake of an existing fireplace or wood-burning stove, as this will reduce airflow; combustibles should be kept at least one foot away from all sides of the device. Finally, do not damage any part of your furnace when adding combustion air openings; use caution when working near hot surfaces and never use a gas-fired appliance without the proper ventilation.
The Benefits of Balance
A well-balanced house supports healthy indoor air quality. The benefits of balancing the airflow in your home can be summarized in three words: Healthy, Efficient, and Comfortable. A balanced HVAC system is actually better at delivering comfort on cold days than a traditional system that’s been forced to operate at a higher capacity for months or even years. Of course, it just makes sense to balance out the airflow when you’re not using all your supply ducts.
There is another way to balance your airflow if adding registers is not an option: Increase the size of several registers at once, ideally those on opposite sides of your home.
Effect of Local Weather on Upstairs Vents
When it’s cold outside, the air pressure is relatively low. So when you open an upstairs vent during colder months, the hot air exits through ducts and vents into the attic space, but because of lower air pressure in the house from warm air escaping into the cold exterior.
The exterior (cold) air mixes with heated interior air to reach equilibrium, resulting in down-flowing room temperature (but cleaned) exhaust/returned air from upstairs rooms through downstairs vents into living spaces in the basement or first floor.
The opposite occurs when it’s hot outside: Hotter than expected return/exhaust airflow causes a partial vacuum in the pipe between the vent and exterior wall, causing condensation moisture to form on all inside surfaces of the black iron pipe.
It’s important to note that surrounding weather conditions can affect the performance of your HVAC system over time. To increase airflow through upstairs vents, install a dedicated attic fan with automatic thermostat control in an unheated attic space above your master bedroom and run down-flowing ducting from this attic fan into all downstairs bedrooms and laundry area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is There Barely Any Air Coming Out of Vents?
There could be a few reasons for barely any air from vents. One possibility is that the filters in the vents are clogged and need to be replaced. Another possibility is that the vent itself may be blocked. If this is the case, you will need to take action to unblock the vent and replace the filters.
Will Duct Cleaning Improve the Airflow?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the impact of duct cleaning on airflow will vary depending on the severity of the problem and the size and type of duct system. However, in general, duct cleaning can improve airflow by removing debris and dust from ducts, reducing the amount of moisture and pollutants that reach indoor air quality problems.
Is Dryer Vent Cleaning Worth It?
Dryer vent cleaning is not always necessary, but it can be beneficial if your dryer is emitting an unpleasant odor or if it is not drying clothes as quickly as it used to.
A professional dryer vent cleaning service will inspect the entire system and identify any issues that may need to be fixed. They will also clean out any debris or lint that has built up over time. This will help reduce the risk of fires and improve the airflow in your dryer.
Can You Use a Leaf Blower to Clean Dryer Vent?
Yes, you can use a leaf blower to clean dryer vents. However, it is important to follow the safety guidelines that are specific to leaf blowers. Ensure you wear appropriate safety gear, including a face mask and goggles, and keep the distance between the machine and the vent at least 2 feet.
Is It Normal for Steam to Come Out of Dryer Vent?
It is not unusual for steam to come out of the dryer vent. This is because the warm air inside the dryer is forced out through the vents and into the room.
You Can Check It Out To Install Return Air Vent Grille
Conclusion
I hope you have clearly understood how to increase airflow through upstairs vents. Also, ensure all the safety protocols while performing the process. Thank you, and have a nice day!
