What is Plenum?

Since we have been writing blogs for a long time, you got a chance to inform yourselves, pretty good, on HVAC maintenance, do’s and don’ts, and all the trivia. But, what about HVAC anatomy? What’s inside your HVAC system, how does it function, what are the names of all the essential parts? In this blog, we’ll gonna get to know the plenum.

What is a plenum in an HVAC system?

What’s a heart for living organisms, that’s plenum for HVAC systems. All the air supply goes through it. There are two types: Supply plenum and Return plenum.

Supply plenum

The supply plenum is an enclosed compartment shaped like a box, built of sheet metal. It is located right in a place where heated or cooled air leaves the heat exchanger. The air leaves the heat exchanger, goes through the supply plenum and exits through the ducts into the room. Usually, the plenum is part of the system where the filter is placed. They come in different sizes, depends on an HVAC system.

Return plenum

As the air is forced into the room, there is an opposite process that forces the air back into the HVAC system. That’s the return plenum, which is built of return ducts. Air from the room is being sucked into the system for another round of cooling or heating. Same as the supply plenum, the return plenum usually has the possibility for filter placement.

The usual problems related to plenum are limit switch malfunctions and air blockages. If you suspect you have one of these problems, we strongly suggest you call your local HVAC cleaning professionals.