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How to Soundproof an Air Vent: Reduce HVAC Noise!

Last UpdatedJanuary 12, 2021

Whether you're looking to soundproof your bedchamber or eliminate distracting sounds from your dwelling part, you're going to observe that there are numerous sources of noise.

Fifty-fifty if you've soundproofed your ceiling, walls, and flooring, some unwanted noise may however be seeping through. What'due south the source? – It could be your air vents.

Though they're frequently overlooked, air vents are a notorious source of dissonance. Sounds from adjacent rooms, air current, and other irritating noises can seep through.

While you could install covers over the vents, information technology isn't the best solution. Covers tin can restrict the menstruum of air from your vents, preventing them from performing their intended function. Fortunately, there are means that you lot tin can soundproof an air vent without disrupting airflow.

The Dissimilar Types of Racket

Before we discuss air vent soundproofing methods, it'south important to discuss the unlike types of noise. The goal of soundproofing is, of course, to eliminate or significantly reduce unwanted noise; however, because in that location are dissimilar kinds of noise, yous need to know which types you're dealing with so you lot know which strategies to utilise.

At that place are ii master types of noise:

Airborne

Airborne nose, as the name suggests, is dissonance that travels through the air; voices, televisions, etc. Sound waves are transmitted through the air until they collide into a solid object, such as a wall. This collision transmits those vibrations through the object and into the infinite beyond information technology; hence why you lot tin hear someone in the adjacent room talking as if they're standing next to yous.

Construction-borne

Structure-borne noises, on the other hand, occur equally a result of an impact with an object on a structural element; a pot falling onto a flooring, footsteps on stairs, or a chair banging into a wall, for case.

Structure-borne racket occurs because the impact that occurs between the object and the structural element causes both sides of the structure – the floor, for instance – to vibrate, and that vibration creates sound waves.

Air vents can be a source of both airborne and structure-borne noise; therefore, a variety of soundproofing techniques may need to be employed.

How to Soundproof Air Vents

There are several strategies that you can apply to soundproof an air vent. Beneath, we highlight a handful of strategies that can effectively reduce the amount of noise that'southward traveling through your vents.

Acoustic Foam

Audio-visual foam helps to minimize echoes. Every bit soundwaves bounce through the air, the foam picks them upward, preventing them from creating an repeat-event. This material isn't intended to block out noise, just instead, it'south designed to enhance the sound quality in a room; hence why acoustic foam is commonly used in recording studios and movie theaters.

For air vents, audio-visual foam tin prove to be an effective way to reduce noise considering these structures tend to generate a lot of echo; this is especially true if they're synthetic of metal.

Therefore, this cloth can absorb the echoes that pass through the vents, thereby minimizing the corporeality of unwanted sound that's traveling into the space you're trying to soundproof.

To soundproof your air vents with the fabric, follow these simple steps:

Remove and measure the air vent covers.
Cutting the audio-visual foam so that it'southward the same size as the vent covers.
Employ adhesive along the edges of the interior of the covers.
Adhere the foam to the covers, ensuring that all gaps are covered.
Supersede the covers on the air vents.

Create a Sound Maze

A sound maze is one of the most effective soundproofing techniques for an air vent. A sound maze won't prevent air from flowing through the vent, so ventilation won't be an event, nevertheless it successfully deadens unwanted sounds.

That's because the maze creates several surfaces within the vent, and the soundwaves volition need to bounce off of those surfaces in order to enter into your room. As such, the amount of noise is significantly reduced. However, while it's effective, creating a sound maze tin can be a flake labor intensive.

To create a sound maze, you lot'll need the following supplies:

Acoustic foam
Plywood
Green glue
Utility knife
Measuring tape
A saw; handsaw, ability saw, etc.

Utilize the following instructions to build a audio maze in your air vent:

Remove the cover from the air vent.
Measure the interior of the vent.
Cut the plywood and then that information technology will fit inside the vent, then cut around xxx% off of the end of the wood so that air can travel around it. Create a minimum of four plywood pieces of the same size.
Attach acoustic foam to both sides of each slice of plywood using green mucilage.
Secure the plywood piece in place by applying mucilage to one edge and slipping them into the air vent, leaving about an inch of space between each i. The panels should be attached to the interior of the vent in an alternating mode, for case, the first one on the left side, the second i on the correct side, the 3rd one on the left side, and then on.
Apply audio-visual foam to the back of the air vent, using green mucilage to secure information technology in identify.
Supersede the vent comprehend.

Seal the Air Vents

You can also try using a sealant to foreclose the transmission of soundwaves from traveling through your air vents. We recommend using an expanding foam for this technique, as information technology volition do a better job of filling in the gap.

Use a generous amount of sealant to the interior of the air vent in question. Once the sealant is in place, it will aggrandize to fill all of the available space. Look a few minutes to see if you need to add more; utilise more than if necessary. Once the sealant sets, there volition exist an airtight seal within the air vent.

Next, smooth out the surface of the sealant with sandpaper and reposition the air vent cover.

Block Up Your Air Vents

Lastly, if you lot really want to soundproof your air vents and y'all don't heed if they no longer function, yous tin block them.

There are several means that you tin block up your air vents to create a soundproof barrier. Some of the different options that we recommend include:

Hang soundproofing textile over the air vents. Remove the air vent cover. Cutting the material and then that it'due south the aforementioned size as the interior of the vent. Use an adhesive gum to secure the material to the interior of the vent. For even more than soundproofing power, utilize another layer of materials to the outside of the vent.
Cutting a piece of plywood so that information technology's a little bit smaller than the back of the air vent covers. Apply adhesive (nosotros recommend light-green glue) to secure the plywood to the interior of the vent cover. For even more soundproofing, apply weather stripping tape effectually the interior edges of the air vent comprehend.
Install a cover over your air vent. Standard air vent covers are louvered; however, you lot can buy solid covers that practise not characteristic any openings and install it over the existing comprehend of the air vent. Since at that place aren't any openings, it'southward harder for soundwaves to escape. To farther improve the effectiveness of this technique, apply acoustic cream to the interior of the cover using greenish glue to secure it in place.

Accept Your HVAC Inspected

The noise that'south escaping through your air vents may be due to a trouble with your HVAC system. If you're hearing a lot of banging, thumping, whirring, and other similar sounds, a faulty HVAC could be to blame.

Contact a reputable and experienced HVAC technician and have them assess your system. If at that place are any issues with the system, the technician will be able to diagnose the problem and make the necessary repairs. Not only will having your HVAC system repaired help to eliminate unwanted noise, merely information technology will too improve the efficiency of the organisation, prolong its life expectancy, and even reduce your utility bills.

Conclusion

Soundproofing an air vent can be a bit of a tricky chore, equally diverse types of sounds tin travel through the tubing and opening; hence why it is often regarded as i of the most difficult parts of a room to soundproof. However, the above-mentioned strategies accept been found to be highly constructive soundproofing strategies for an air vent.

For maximum effectiveness, you can try a combination of these strategies, or merely explore each 1 until y'all find the selection that works all-time for you.

James Burkett

James is a self-employed writer and editor and has the privilege of working from home. Yet, he quickly discovered how unwanted dissonance can disturb both work and sleep. Over the years he'due south effectively soundproofed his entire work space and a number of rooms in his house. Needless to say he can work and sleep much more peacefully.

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