How To Look At A House
McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of
site-built, mobile/manufactured and modular homes
Why is there an air conditioning vent (register) outside on the ceiling of the porch?
Monday, January 28, 2019
It is most likely a fresh air intake for your heating and air conditioning system. Modern homes are so well sealed that some HVAC designers specify a return air duct at an exterior soffit or porch ceiling that allows a small amount of outside air to be bled into the return air circulation of your system. It will usually also have a filter behind the grille, like in the photo above, which needs to be changed regularly. If you unscrew the thumbscrew (at arrow in photo above) or turn the two plastic tabs (at arrows in photo belwo), the grille will hinge down for replacement of filter behind it.
Also, see our blog posts Why is my air conditioner not cooling enough? and What is wrong with an air conditioner when the air flow out of the vents is low?
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To learn more about heating and air conditioning systems, see these other blog posts:
• How can I find out the SEER of my air conditioner?
• My air conditioner won't turn on. What's wrong?
• How can I find out the size of my air conditioner?
• How can I find out the age of my air conditioner or furnace?
• How can I tell whether the condenser (outdoor unit) is an air conditioner or heat pump?
• Where is the air filter for my central air conditioner and furnace? I can’t find it?
• Does an old air conditioner use more electricity as it ages?
• How did homes stay cool in Florida before air conditioning?
• Why has the thermostat screen gone blank?
• Why does it take so long to cool a house when an air conditioner has been off for a while?
• What are the most common problems with wall/window air conditioners?
• Will closing doors reduce my heating and cooling costs?
Visit our HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.
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