How to Remodel Floor Heat Ducts

Keep your home warm and toasty by ensuring that your floor heat ducts function at their full capacity. Heat ducts come in a variety of shapes and sizes based on the type, capacity and location of your heating system. They install flush with holes cut through the flooring of your home and connect via flexible or metal ducts to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. If you have an older home, particularly with systems that emit a musty odor or dust when you turn on the heat, consider remodeling your floor heat ducts.

Screwdriver
Hammer
Elbow boot
Ring-shank nails
Adjustable floor register

Instructions

- 1
  Turn off your heating system at the thermostat inside your home. Remove the floor register from the top of the heat duct by lifting it off. Some floor registers screw to the floor; use a screwdriver to remove the screws holding the register to the floor. Then lift it off of the duct.
- 2
  Pull out the nails holding the elbow boot in place against the subfloor using the claw end of a hammer. Push the elbow vent free from its connection with the subfloor into the basement or crawl space under your home.
- 3
  Access the basement or crawl space of your home and locate the branch duct with the loose elbow vent. Disconnect the round end of the elbow boot from the branch duct by pulling it off. Attach the round end of the new elbow boot to the duct. Push the top edge of the open rectangular end of the boot up through the subfloor.
- 4
  Align the top edge of the new elbow boot so it is flush with the subfloor between the flooring joists. Press all four sides of the boot firmly against the flooring supports. Hammer ring-shank nails through each side of the duct and into the subfloor and joists.
- 5
  Line up a new adjustable floor register over the hole in the subfloor and push it straight down to fit snugly against the sides of the duct. Use the lever on the side of the vent to direct the airflow away from the wall and into the center of the room.

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