How to Get Air Moving in a Closed or Stuffy Room

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Beat the heat and circulate fresh air with this handy guide
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During the summer months, it can be hard to cool down if you don't have—or don't want to spend money on—air conditioning. Even if you do have AC, sometimes it's nice to get a little fresh air moving in a stuffy room. In this article, we'll be sharing super simple tips to help you create airflow and bring in a breeze. We'll also touch on how to make slight changes to your room or building so you can stay cool all summer long.

Things You Should Know

  • Open the door or window for an easy way to increase airflow. Use ceiling fans or box fans to improve the flow even more.
  • To create a cross-breeze, put a box fan in an open window facing inward. Then, put a second box fan in another window across the room facing outside.
  • If you're creating a cross-breeze, add an extra box fan in the center of the room to improve air circulation even more.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Using Simple Solutions

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  1. If you can, prop open a door so the warm air that's building up in your room can flow out. This also helps to balance and regulate the temperature around your house.
    • If the room has multiple doors, prop them all open to increase air flow.
  2. Opening the window will help get air moving. If you already have air blowing into the room from your A/C, opening a window will help draw it out, creating airflow and better circulation. You can do this with a closed door, as long as you have air blowing in from the A/C. [1]
    • You only need to open the window 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) in order to start drawing the hot air out of the room!
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  3. If you don't have an air conditioner, purchase a simple box fan or install a ceiling fan for a cost-effective way to circulate air. [2] Using fans while the windows and doors are open will get air moving even faster.
  4. An air conditioner can help create airflow even if you don't want to set it to "cool." Just make sure the vent is open and set it to fan mode so air circulates throughout the room. [4]
    • If you don't have an A/C, consider buying a window A/C unit or a portable A/C unit , especially if you live in a hot climate. Portable A/C units work great in windowless rooms.
    • If you do have an A/C, schedule HVAC maintenance once a year and get your air ducts cleaned every 2-3 years, or as needed. [5]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Creating Cross Ventilation

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  1. Install the box so that it faces inside the room and pushes cooler air into the space. Then, close the window as much as possible after you place the box fan in the window to hold it in place. [6]
  2. Put the second fan in a higher window if possible, since hot air rises, and set it to blow outwards. Then, just pull the window down to the top of the fan so it stays in place. [7]
    • This process creates a vacuum, drawing air through the room and cooling it down.
  3. Use reversible fans . Reversible fans give you the option of turning the fans around with little to no heavy lifting, so that you can have the coolest room possible. [8]
  4. If the space is large, encourage air movement by placing another box fan in the middle of the room. Orient this fan so it's blowing towards the fan facing outward to encourage the air to go out. [9]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Modifying the Room or Building

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  1. A small 1 to 1.5 in (2.5 to 3.8 cm) hole in your door can create airflow and cool down the room. You can leave the door as-is or insert a transfer grill to make the cut less obvious. [10]
  2. Install a return duct . Return ducts push air back to the air conditioner so it can be recycled. This increases airflow because it gives the cool air coming into the room somewhere to go. [11]
    • If you don't already have these in your home, they can be expensive to install.
    • One basic way to create return air ducts is to cut a hole in the floor in the wall cavity. Connect it to the room and the return air with metal sheeting.
  3. Use jump ducts to allow air flow in and out of the room. Jump ducts are u-shaped tunnels that create the same effect as leaving the door open, as they allow air to flow back out of the room when it comes in through the A/C vent. For best results, install jump ducts in the attic. To install: [12]
    • Cut holes in the ceiling drywall.
    • Place the jump duct above the rooms, and connect the registers on the duct to the beams.
    • Seal the registers to the drywall using caulk. Then, seal the registers to the duct using the approved ties and metal tape.
    • In the rooms, place a ceiling grill under the duct.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I clean the air vents in my house?
    Victor Belavus
    Air Conditioning Specialist
    Victor Belavus is an Air Conditioning Specialist and the Owner of 212 HVAC, an air condition repair and installation company based in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to HVAC and air conditioning units, Victor also specializes in furnace repair and air duct cleaning. He has over 10 years of experience working with HVAC systems.
    Victor Belavus
    Air Conditioning Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Air duct cleaning entails large negative pressure vacuums and roto brush equipment which is costly and too bulky for individual use. You could try to remove floor and wall grills and vacuum inside with shop vac as much as you can reach. I would suggest hiring a certified air duct cleaning company for this task.
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      References

      1. ↑ Victor Belavus. Air Conditioning Specialist. Expert Interview. 6 May 2020.
      2. ↑ https://www.lung.org/clean-air/indoor-air/protecting-from-air-pollution/ventilation
      3. ↑ Victor Belavus. Air Conditioning Specialist. Expert Interview. 6 May 2020.
      4. ↑ https://seas.harvard.edu/news/2022/07/hotter-world-air-conditioning-isnt-luxury-its-lifesaver
      5. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-your-home-cleaned
      6. ↑ https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy01osti/29513.pdf
      7. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/improving-ventilation-home.html
      8. ↑ https://nchh.org/information-and-evidence/learn-about-healthy-housing/health-hazards-prevention-and-solutions/ventilation-and-indoor-air-quality/
      9. ↑ https://natural-resources.canada.ca/sites/nrcan/files/energy/pdf/16-0114%20Home%20Ventilation_access_eng.pdf
      1. ↑ https://www.hse.gov.uk/ventilation/how-to-improve-ventilation.htm
      2. ↑ https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/guide_to_home_ventilation.pdf
      3. ↑ https://basc.pnnl.gov/resource-guides/jump-ducts#quicktabs-guides=1

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To create airflow in a room, open any doors and windows so air can blow in and out. Turn the ceiling fan on if there is one. You can also set up box fans so there's more airflow. To create a cross breeze, place a window-mounted box fan facing inward in one window and another box fan facing outward in a second window across the room. This will draw air through the room and cool it down. If you have central air conditioning, keep the fan or cool air setting on and make sure all of the vents are open to help cycle stale air out of the room. For more help, including how to install a return duct in your room, scroll down.

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