If your furniture is too low for one of the diverters above, or if your sofa has a skirt, you can try a diverter like this one: Deflecto Vent Extender But these won’t work if your sofa has a skirt. If you have a sofa placed atop a vent, you may think you'll be fine if you can just place one of these diverters on the vent. For these to work, the furniture must be several inches above a floor or away from the wall. With these, you can place furniture near a vent and avoid many of the problems mentioned previously. Frost King Air DeflectorĬlick here to see this diverter on Amazon. Some common diverter options are: Home Intuition Adjustable Magnetic DeflectorĬlick here to see this diverter on Amazon. Most of the diverters work by deflecting the air in a different direction than it typically comes out. If that is the case, and you have room for it, you can use a diverter to redirect the air from the bottom of your furniture.Ī few types of diverters are available, but most of them are made of clear plastic and either stick down with double-sided tape or use magnets to adhere to metal vents. First off, anything you place atop the vent should sit several inches above it, if possible. If you want or need to place your furniture over a vent, there are options. Options For Placing Furniture Over Or Near Vents The air return can be even more important to leave unobstructed, and most experts recommend leaving 10 inches around them. Returns are usually located in the ceiling or wall but occasionally appear on a floor. These are just some of the issues you may face if you block a vent blowing into the room, but you should also take care not to block any return vents. The reverse is true with the air conditioning in the summer. That room may stay a few degrees cooler than the rest of the house in the winter or take much longer for the temperature to even out in that room. This isn’t the case if you block vents.Ī room with a blocked vent will not heat or cool as quickly. In most homes, the air conditioning system is set up so that the home heats or cools in an even manner. These can cause damage and require expensive repairs. A restricted system could cause your air conditioning condenser to freeze up. This adds up over time, reducing the lifespan of your system.īlocked air can also cause the heat exchanger to overheat. It will run longer, causing additional wear on the system. Premature Wear Of Your HVAC Systemīlocking your vents or restricting them by placing furniture pieces too close can cause your system to work much harder to heat your home in the winter or cool your home in the summer. On top of these problems, you may cause damage to the finish of any nearby furniture.

This can lead to mold or damage to the item. You could have problems with condensation forming on furniture that is too close or covering a vent. This could lead to joints breaking and failing or damage to the wood itself. Excessive dry air could result in parts of the furniture, especially wooden parts, to shrink or dry out. The air coming from the vent can often be very drying. If you place furniture on top of a floor vent or too near to a wall vent, you risk damage to your furniture. You now have fewer open vents to perform the same amount of heating or cooling, which may cause your system to run longer to accomplish the task. If you block your air vents with furniture, you will make your system work harder to heat or cool the home. Let's look closer at these potential issues when placing furniture over a vent. Some of the problems you may face if you block your vents: You shouldn't block a doorway or window, and you shouldn’t block your air vents either.

While most people would like to place furniture anywhere they see fit, the reality is that there are some restrictions. We'll also discuss the different types of deflectors and offer some tips on avoiding problems below, so read on.

If you're finding a tight fit for your furniture arrangement around vents, you should at least be aware of any potential issues proximity to a vent may cause. A vent can be redirected in some cases with a diverter, which could allow you to place furniture atop or in front of vents, but there are limitations to this. You may also cause your furnace or air conditioner to work harder, resulting in a higher utility bill or premature wear to your system. If you place furniture atop a vent, it may dry out the wood and damage your expensive sofa or armoire. It is best practice not to cover vents with furniture. What about vents, though? Can you place furniture over or in front of a vent? We’ve looked into it, and we have some answers for you.ĭisclosure: We may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. When arranging your furniture in a room, you may have to work around doors and windows.

Vent deflector under bed