Anyone else notice certain rooms still feel “dead” no matter what?
Yeah, I’ve noticed that too. Our guest room is always stuffy, even though the HRV is supposed to be doing its thing. I tried the old tissue test over the vent—barely moved. Makes me wonder if the installer just eyeballed it or what. Is there some simple way to check airflow without buying fancy gear? Or maybe it’s just the layout messing things up...
I tried the old tissue test over the vent—barely moved. Makes me wonder if the installer just eyeballed it or what. Is there some simple way to check airflow without buying fancy gear?
Man, I hear you on the “dead room” thing. In my place, it’s the laundry room—always feels like a crypt, even though we’ve got an HRV that’s supposed to keep things fresh. I did the same tissue trick and got about as much movement as a snail on vacation. Sometimes I wonder if these installers have a secret contest for who can make the most useless vent.
As for checking airflow without fancy gadgets, besides the tissue, I’ve heard of folks using a piece of toilet paper or even a lightweight ribbon taped to a pencil and holding it near the vent. If it barely flutters, you’re not getting much. Not exactly scientific, but hey, it tells you something’s off.
Honestly, layout can mess things up way more than people expect. In our last house, one bedroom was at the end of a long duct run and always felt stuffy, no matter what we did. Turns out, the duct was squished behind a joist—installer must’ve thought “out of sight, out of mind.” If you can get at your ductwork (sometimes easier said than done), check for kinks or crushed spots. You’d be amazed what a stray 2x4 can do to airflow.
If you want to get a bit more “DIY MacGyver,” I once used incense sticks to see if air was actually moving out of the room (smoke should get pulled toward the return). My wife thought I was starting some new-age ritual, but it worked well enough to spot dead zones.
One thing I will say: sometimes the HRV just isn’t balanced right from the start. Installers are supposed to set them up with all these fancy meters, but in reality? Sometimes they just crank open whatever damper is closest and call it a day. If you’re feeling ambitious, some HRVs have balancing dampers you can adjust yourself—just don’t go full mad scientist without reading up first.
Anyway, you’re definitely not alone on this one. New builds look all shiny until you realize half the vents are just there for show...
I get the frustration, but I’m not totally convinced it’s always the installer’s fault. In a few of my buildings, the vents looked fine on paper, airflow seemed good during the walkthroughs, but once people actually moved in and started living there—cooking, running laundry, keeping doors closed—it changed everything. Sometimes it’s more about how folks use the space than just duct layout or balancing. I do think some newer HRVs are a bit too “set and forget,” though. We had one place where just swapping out a clogged filter made a way bigger difference than any vent adjustment. Makes you wonder if maintenance gets overlooked more than we realize...
You nailed it about maintenance getting ignored. I’ve seen more “mystery airflow problems” solved with a vacuum and a new filter than any fancy adjustment. People forget vents need love too, not just the HVAC techs. Set-and-forget is great… until it isn’t.
I get what you’re saying about maintenance being the main culprit, but I’m not totally convinced it’s just about swapping filters and dusting vents. In my last place (brand new build, supposedly “energy efficient”), I did all the basics—changed filters religiously, vacuumed the vents, even poked around in the ductwork when airflow seemed off. Still ended up with stuffy rooms and weird temperature swings.
Honestly, I think there’s a bigger issue with how new homes are being designed. Everything’s sealed up so tight for efficiency that it feels like we’re living in Tupperware containers. Maybe that’s great for the energy bill, but indoor air quality takes a hit unless you’ve got some kind of mechanical ventilation running all the time. And most builders aren’t exactly splurging on fancy ERVs or HRVs unless you specifically ask (and pay) for them.
Another thing—I read somewhere that a lot of new builds undersize their returns or stick them in dumb spots (like right behind doors or furniture), which doesn’t help airflow no matter how clean your vents are. It feels like we treat ventilation as an afterthought instead of part of the core design.
Maintenance matters, sure, but if the system isn’t set up right from day one, all the vacuuming in the world won’t fix it. Maybe I’m just salty from dealing with my own “mystery airflow problems,” but I really think there’s more to this than just keeping things tidy. Anyone else feel like we’re missing something bigger in how these homes are put together?
