Have you ever noticed dirt streaking out of the sides of any of the supply vents on the HVAC systems you service? Dirt streaking on supply vents is a common problem HVAC professionals encounter on a daily basis. The underlying cause is often blamed on the HVAC system’s air filtration and is never considered again. In this scenario, no solutions are truly offered, and the streaking often continues. Is it possible there is more to dirt streaking around supply vents than just the quality of the air filter being used?
To keep it simple, I am using “vent” as a generic term to cover all the varieties of terminal devices that could cover a supply branch outlet. Vents are really broken down into the three categories of diffusers, grilles, and registers. Each of these has its own characteristics and definitions that I won’t get into in this article.