Should a pantry have an air vent?

A pantry needs ventilation to control odors, moisture, and heat. If you live in an environment with a tropical climate, then ventilation is necessary to stop heat and moisture from accumulating in the pantry. Those elements can attract insects and mold.

How can I keep my pantry cool?





You may be able to cool individual containers somewhat by wrapping damp cloth around them so evaporation takes away some of the heat. You could arrange some sort of drip or pump to keep those moist, and a fan to improve the evaporation and heat removal… And you’d basically have reinvented the “swamp cooler”.

Are cold air returns necessary?

Cold air return vents aren’t the most elegant feature in your home, but they exist for reason. These vents, commonly found in hallways or on ceilings, are absolutely essential to an air conditioner’s well-being. Cold air returns take in warm air from your home’s indoor spaces for use in your air conditioning system.

What happens if there is not enough return air?

If there is not enough return air available, your HVAC system will not heat or cool properly. They must be properly sized — Return air ducts must be large enough to carry a sufficient amount of expended air back to your furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump.

Should a pantry be cold?

A pantry should not have appliances which generate heat. A proper pantry should be cool and have ventilation to remove moisture.

How hot can a pantry be?





between 50 degrees and 70 degrees Fahrenheit

For dry and canned goods, a pantry’s temperature should fall between 50 degrees and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Pantries should be clean, dark, dry and cool.

Are corner pantries outdated?

A corner pantry is a distinctive mark of a 1990’s kitchen, and falls into the category of outdated. The real reason that corner pantries are falling out of favor is that their placement breaks up the kitchen workflow and are now seen as bulky obstacles, taking away from the design aesthetic.

Should every room have a cold air return?

While it is a myth that air return grilles are required in each and every room in the house, it is definitely necessary to have more than one of these grilles installed at strategic places in the house. The most important place to have these would be the bedroom.

Can you use flex duct return air?



Yes, you can use flex ducts for your return air. However, to maximize its usefulness, it needs to conform to technical specifications such as its insulation rating, pressure checks, dust filters, duct sizing and placement, and lastly, the installation requirements.

How big of a return air vent do I need?

Generally, if you are using a Duct Sizing Chart or calculator (such as the Trane Ductulator), size the re- turn ducts for 0.05 inches/100 ft (0.40 Pa/m) based on the expected airflow through that return air duct. The total sum of air from all the returns should be at least 250 CFM/nominal ton (33 l/s per-kW).

Can you have too much return air?

This isn’t the most efficient system. Having several return vents (ideally one in every room, but even two or three is better than just one) creates consistent air pressure. If you have one return vent, your home is fine. Keep the doors to each room open so air can properly circulate.

What does a return vent look like?



You can identify return vents by turning on the system fan and holding your hand or a piece of paper up. If the paper is pulled toward the vent or you feel a suction effect, it’s a return vent.

Can a return air duct be too big?

No such thing as too much return. It will not take in any more air than it pushes out, thus no such thing as too big. Its hard to imagine a return that is too big ,but you want the return to have some draw to evacuate an area.

Can a return duct be too short?

If the return duct is too small, there are an inadequate number of return grilles or they are undersized, it can’t return enough air to recirculate back into the system. The average duct system has 25% less return air than required according to National Comfort Institute.

Should return air be high or low?

For optimal efficiency, it’s ideal to have return registers installed. To ensure efficiency during the cooling season, your home should have high registers. High return registers draw hot air that rises to the ceiling back into the system to repeat the cooling cycle.