Components of the Duct System
A duct system is a branching network of round or rectangular
tubes —generally constructed of sheet metal, fiberglass board,
or a flexible plastic-and- wire composite —located within
the walls, floors, and ceilings. Usually, you can see
only the outlet, which is a register covered with grillwork.
This system consists of supply ducts and return ducts. Central
heating or cooling equipment (furnace, air conditioner, or
heat pump) contains a fan that forces heated or cooled air
into supply ducts leading to the rooms. The fan gets its air
supply through return ducts, which in the best systems are
installed in every room of the house. To save on installation
costs, most homes have one or two return registers located
in common areas such as hallways. (Some homes have no return
duct systems. Such design shortcuts often result in lower
efficiency and higher heating and cooling bills.)
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