If you have a heat vent or register directly below a window, buy a deflector

Last updated on March 10th, 2024 at 03:36 pm

This one puzzles the heck out of me.

We’ve talked about how a lot of heat escapes through the windows. Heat vents blow heat into a room. Why then, would anyone place a heat vent directly under a window?

Argh!

A lot of heat will be wasted, and the room will always feel colder than it should.

Luckily, there is a very easy solution.

Go to your local home improvement store (like a Lowe’s or Home Depot) and get a clear heat deflector. They run $5 – $15. These have little magnets on one side that stick to the metal heat vent, and will deflect air at a 90 degree angle away from the window and toward the center of the room.

There the heat can rise away from the wall and window and warm the room as a whole, rather than just the window.

There’s another good reason for this.

If the inside of the window is heated directly, it may encourage ice that forms on the window to melt when the heat is on, causing water damage. When the heat is off, the ice may actually freeze on the inside of the window, in your house!

Yes, it could actually be that cold by the window!

Imagine what would happen if you didn’t address this.

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