How Do You Improve the Efficiency of Heated Floor Vents?

Though floor vents may not be superb for cooling, they are generally far more efficient for heating.

During the cool winter months, heated floor vents disburse the air through the ground, which then rises. This warms the house far more effectively than either ceiling or wall vents. But the efficiency of heated floor vents can still be improved, especially for larger or older homes.

Here are four quick ways to improve the efficiency of your heated floor vents and optimize your home's comfort level!

1. Getting Floor Vent Covers. Directional floor vent covers are designed to push warm air through specific areas in the home. Especially in older homes, floor vents may not be placed in the most heating efficient areas. Floor vent covers give the opportunity to focus the air towards the areas that need it most -- generally the common living spaces. Floor vents that are not in use -- such as in closed rooms -- can be closed off.
2. Checking the Vents for Blockages. Floor vents are far more likely to get blocked than ceiling vents. If a household has pets, children, or both it's even more likely; pet fur can easily clog a vent, and children are often tempted to place things inside of them. Vents should be professionally cleaned on an annual basis to remove any dust and treat against mildew, but they can also be checked periodically to make sure nothing has lodged within them.
3. Turning on Ceiling Fans. Ceiling fans have two rotational settings. One moves the air down and the other moves the air up. To make floor vents even more effective, ceiling fans can be used to quickly circulate hot air around the room. The rotation should be set to pull air upwards; this will disperse the hot air evenly as it naturally rises from the floor.
4. Moving Furniture. Floor vents can be significantly impacted by furniture even if it doesn't appear that they should be. Ideally, a floor vent should be entirely unobstructed; there shouldn't be any large items in front of the vent or near the vent.
   

If floor vents still don't seem to be warming up the room, it may be time to invest in heating repair. Companies that perform heating repair in Cleveland, like Gorjanc Home Services, will be able to clean the vents out thoroughly and inspect them for any leaks, both of which could be causing the heating system to run improperly.