Jocelyn F asked: My husband is convinced that leaving all the interior doors open will help with air circulation while the AC is on, but that means less privacy for everyone. I can’t find anything to back up his argument. I doubt he’ll change his mind, but can anyone tell me if this really makes a difference, for my own information?? Thanks.
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yes, it helps circulate the air easier with the doors open but if there are rooms you don’t need cool then keep them closed. The air gets ****** in from the hall and pushed out in the rooms. so doors do block the flow.
otherwize the only return air you would get is from under the doors hes right sorry didnt mean to take sides
It does help some as you will usually have only one return air vent. This pulls the air back through the system. Privacy is sometimes more important though. At least to me.
It all depends on how the system is designed. If there is a central return then leaving door open helps air circulate better. If each room has a separate return then there is no need to keep rooms open. Separate returns make for a better and more expensive system.
The only way to know the difference between a feed and return is to put your hand in front of a register when the system is running, if you don’t feel air blowing out then it would be a return that is pulling air in.
It does make a bit of a difference. It helps keep an even temp throughout the house including common areas (hallways etc…). If doors are being open and closed, this may cause sudden changes in temp as hot/ cold air rushes in. This can cause the ac to kick on more often. However, if the doors stay closed for long periods of time(like while everyone is sleeping) then it isn’t too much of an issue. It can be argued that common areas or large rooms won’t cool or be kept cool as efficiently w/out the help of all registers from all rooms…But I’m willing to pay the extra 29 cents for the privacy. Hope this helps.
Hello Jocelyn F:
If your house is designed with a supply and return vent in every room, you do not need to keep the doors open. If your house has only supply vents in each room, and only one return vent in the house, keeping the doors open will create greater air flow and optimum cooling capacity.
Usually, in homes with only one return, the space under/over the door should equal the size of the supply vent. If your supply is 8 x 6 (48 sq. in) and you have a 32 inch wide door, the space would have to be 1 1/2 inches tall. With a 36 inch door, the space would have to be 1 1/3 inches tall. If you have a thick rug, measure from the top of the pile.