My house constantly feels stuffy, even after dusting the house and mopping the floors. I have a natural propensity to suffer from constant allergy symptoms, but I usually had no serious issues in other homes as long as I kept the surfaces throughout clean as a whistle. After cleaning this place five times over, I started to wonder if I had mold odor coming from some unknown location. The mold expert who searched over my home said that he could find no significant sources for fungal growth beyond my shower and some of the stains in the grout. At that point, I started to wonder if there was possibly an issue with my home’s central HVAC system. Aside from heating and cooling indoor spaces, HVAC systems are important for moving around air that would otherwise make a room feel stagnant and uncomfortable. Imagine dealing with a circulation issue if your outdoor weather is already uncomfortably hot and humid.
This is one reason why many people like to add air returns to a system if it only has one. Often air systems with just one return are not as good at air circulation as an HVAC system that has three or more returns. Many houses these days are built with a large return system. Aside from an air register in each room for conditioned air, there are returns in each room as well. This way you’re getting optimal air circulation all throughout your whole house. This improves energy efficiency while simultaneously making your home feel more comfortable. Unfortunately for many of us, we are stuck with one air return and don’t have a choice. Getting new ductwork is extremely expensive in many cases.