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Residential Heating and Air Conditioning Blog

What Is a Plenum in an HVAC System?

handsome-young-man-looking-thoughtfully-at-isolated-white-backgroundYour forced-air heating, air conditioning, and ventilation system use a network of ducts to move your conditioned air through your home. Most of the time, your ducted system is going to be comprised of sheet metal, but it can also be made of fiberglass or insulated plastic in some circumstances. 

In any circumstance, it’s important to understand that the heart of your home’s HVAC system is the plenum. You might be surprised to hear this. It’s a word that many people haven’t heard before when it comes to HVAC services. Today, we’re going to get into your supply plenum and let you know why this is important. It’s important for your air conditioning services and your heating services in Minnetonka

What Is Supply Plenum?

So let’s get into what a plenum is. A plenum is an air distribution box that’s directly attached to the supply outlet of your HVAC system. It’s in charge of bringing in, distributing, and removing air in your home. 

A plenum is a constant. It’s something that’s necessary and supposed to be in place to help you get the most from your home. 

In the case of a supply plenum, your HVAC system has a blower that forces heated and cooled air into the supply plenum and from the plenum into the rooms in your home. 

What Is Return Plenum?

Now let’s focus on the return plenum. Your forced-air heating or air conditioning system also has return ducts. These return ducts connect to your home’s HVAC equipment through an air collection box known as the return plenum. 

It works like this, your conditioned air (we’ll go with heated air in this case) is blown out of your room’s supply ducts. The air that’s already been circulated through your space is then sucked up into the return ducts. This air is then collected in the return plenum and is drawn back into the HVAC equipment system at large. From here, it starts the process of being distributed into your room all over again.

The Merits of Professional Service

Now that you understand the role of a plenum in your home’s HVAC system, we want to talk about something else that is equally important in a home—professional service.

We’re reaching one of the busiest times of the year right now. The holidays are here, the hustle and bustle of the new year is around the corner, and there are lots of people to see and things to do. We understand that if you have an HVAC concern, you might not want to carve out the time to have a professional address this in your home. This is when the idea of amateur work becomes all too appealing. Maybe your local handyperson has more availability than your local HVAC contractor. Maybe you’ve found a DIY article or a video that gives you all the confidence in the world to do something on your own. We want to assure you that neither of these are good options. Professionals are the only ones who can do your home justice. 

Contact Residential Heating and Air Conditioning to schedule an appointment with our team today. Feel the Difference. 

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