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New Cabinet Over Air Register on Floor

39K views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  Joe Dirt 
#1 ·
I'm in the process of remodeling my kitchen and the layout of the cabinets is going to be changed. My issue is that the planned location for one of the new cabinets currently has an air register on the floor, and I'm not sure what the right solution is.

(BTW, just for full context, the kitchen is about 190 sq. feet, has 7'6" ceilings, and there are currently only 2 air registers including the one being discussed)

In my mind there are a few options:
1. Put some kind of cover/cap on the duct to block the air flow, then just put the cabinet on top. My question with this is ... since that will block off half of the air flow to the kitchen, will we still be able to properly heat/cool the kitchen?
2. Put no cover/cap, but still just put the cabinet on top. So same question as with option #1, plus I'm wondering if the air flow will potentially damage the cabinet (mold, mildew, etc.).
3. Buy some piece of duct work that bends 90 degrees and will connect to the current duct work, then cut a hole in the toe kick of the cabinet and route the air flow out that way. Presumably this will work and still maintain the same level of heating/cooling, but is this common practice? I don't know if I've ever seen a kitchen with this.
4. Removing all the duct work underneath the floor and installing a new air register somewhere else in the kitchen. If we chose this option, how difficult is this to do? The ceiling in the basement is open and there's a pretty decent spot between the same two joists as the current register. Could I do this myself or would I definitely need a HVAC professional? How expensive would it be to hire someone?

Any other options I'm not thinking of? Thanks.
 
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#4 ·
Well lets put it this way;In cheaper homers number 2) with a toe kick grille on the toe kick is done.
In better homes number three is done.
Its up to you.By the way the duct that you would used is called" stack" It comes in 2 1/4 and 3 1/4 inch thicknesses.I would use the 3 1/4 Inch stack with a shortway 90 to make the turn to the toe kick.
 
#7 ·
Definitely option #3 connect a 90deg ell to the floor then out the toe kick install a register in the toe kick. The only way to go. You don't want hot/cold air blowing around under your cabinets.
 
#10 ·
We have an older townhouse with this issue: the kitchen and downstairs bathrooms have cabinets over the air vent. Seems like the air gets "lost" under the cabinet and doesn't blow out as warm or as cold as it should. We've been wondering what to do about this (the air blows from a small opening above the toe-kick) so it looks like we'll need to cut room for and install a register. Not sure why they did it this way!
 
#11 ·
homemomma, you would have to lift the cabinet. The better thing to do, is to locate the register on the other wall from it. We have ours across from the toilet, which actually works out great. Our bath is only 6x10, but relocating the vent from where it was under the sink to the other wall, it actually is warmer. Plus since it is a older house, and has the larger register vents, more air enters the space to help keep it warm.

Place the vent on the wall, not on the floor, due to if any water hits the floor, it will enter the vent, and end up pouring into the furnace. This is the same with the Kitchen area. Personally, no registers should be flat on the floor, they should be up on the wall, so nothing enters them.
 
#16 ·
Do the toe kick vent!

The home I was renting/am in the process of moving out of had the kitchen vent capped to run forced air to a new 3 season room directly behind it, the room furthest away from the furnace.

Result- warm air that was cool air by the time it got to the end of the run in the 3 season room, no heat in the kitchen, and thus ~15* cooler in the winter than the dining room directly next to it.

Best part- the guy that did it owns an HVAC contracting company in Grand Rapids. Nice.
 
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