Ever wonder why some rooms of your home don’t heat or cool as well as others? The answer may be your return air grills- also known as “cold air returns”. These are the vents that are usually on the wall and they do not have a control mechanism to open or shut their flow. Their purpose is to allow air to return to the furnace to be heated or cooled. It is an air inlet. If your home has returns in most rooms this is the best setup, allowing for the best circulation and air flow. But sometimes we see that people cover/close them up because they don’t realize their importance. Some homes have one or two large return grills centrally located. In that case, simply closing the doors to the bedrooms can essentially close those rooms off from the whole house air circulation the heating/cooling system is designed to provide. So while the supply vents blow out heated and cooled air, the return grills are just as important to your overall comfort and proper system functions. Never block your return grills! Leave those returns unobstructed by furniture or other coverings and you will help ensure that your system gives maximum comfort, consistent temperatures, and doesn’t waste energy by running too long due to poor air circulation thru the home.