Why are the heat vents in most houses placed under the windows?
By Countrymom
@Countrymom (371)
United States
November 3, 2007 12:12am CST
I have lived in many many houses in my lifetime. Most of the houses I have lived in had the heat vents in front of a window. Now to me that seems sort of counter productive to put a heat vent in front of a window where it might be a bit chilly and thus cause the heat to go on more. In the house I live in now there are 2 heat vents not in front of windows...the rest of the vents are in front of a window. Can anyone tell me why?
3 people like this
5 responses
@theproperator (2429)
• United States
3 Nov 07
Well, you are less likely to want to place something right in front of a window, so putting them there keeps you from placing furniture over the vent, which would block the air and make that room colder. Also, being in front of the window shouldn't make your system come on more because it is temperature at the location of the thermostat that controls when it switches on and off.
2 people like this
@Countrymom (371)
• United States
3 Nov 07
That makes a lot of sense. Thank you!
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
13 Nov 07
That's what I feel also. What year was your house built mom?
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
13 Nov 07
its normal actually as a lot of people do not set furniture that would block the vents in the window areas. A table maybe. Now in my house in each room I have the heat vent as well as a cold air return vent. The cold air returns are by the windows and the heat vents are across from them. It works great this way in my house so far at least.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@irishmist (3814)
• United States
30 Nov 07
I know. I was wondering the same thing. My heater vents are in front of my windows as well, and in the retirement hone that I work in it is the same way. i would think having them by the windows would make them kick on more. The last 2 apartments I lived in had parlor stoves, and they seem to run all the time.
@vera5d (4005)
• United States
28 Dec 07
this is a good question...my house is the same way! we actually covered two of our huge windows with insulation board because we were losing so much heat...thermostats are usually located on an inside wall so the heat isn't turning on more than it needs to, but a lot of heat gets lost through windows...especially the older they are!
