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by rootusrootus 1741 days ago
> In a modern home, there should be supply and return vents in every room.

That must vary by region. I live in the PNW, and I have not seen a recently built house with a return in each room. One or more supply vents per room depending on size, one return for each floor seems pretty much standard.
2 comments
windexh8er 1741 days ago
Interesting. I live in the upper midwest and remember my first home I lived in (parents built it new in 1980) had returns in every room. My current home is primarily forced air and there are returns in every room with multiples in the larger gathering spaces. Was built in the late 90s and I think building code may require a specific number of returns per square foot.
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rootusrootus 1741 days ago
Could be regional -- I would bet that in most cases houses in the upper midwest have to deal with much colder temperatures in the winter than houses in the PNW. Maybe that influences the HVAC design.

But I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find that there isn't really a specific reason, it's just "how we do things in this area." A surprising amount of building choices seem to be made that way.

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metafunctor 1741 days ago
Over here in Finland, nobody has returns in each room. It's a cold climate, so houses are heavily insulated, and moisture condensation is a concern during the winters.

We typically have returns in toilets, showers, etc. with one or more supply vents in each room; a large room may have several. Air flows in via supply vents, flows out under mandatory gaps in doors (if closed), through to the toilets and then outside. Moisture, CO2, and smells are constantly flushed in the right direction.

When the hood is on for cooking, air supply is typically enhanced so it doesn't mess up the overall pressure too much.

Incoming air is filtered, of course. The ventilation unit transfers heat from outgoing air to the incoming air to save energy and avoid problems with condensation.

In my home office, TVOC as measured by an Eve Room rarely goes above 100 (mostly happens when I pour an occasional whisky in the evening).

Old houses don't have ventilation machines at all, but rely on natural ventilation instead: warmer air flows upwards via chimneys and such due to gravity, pulling in fresh air from whatever gaps the structure has (accidental or purpose-built).

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