Why our old-style baseboard heat registers are great!

Improved furnace and air conditioning performance from today’s equipment:

The original ductwork associated with a gravity furnace is “oversized” to minimize airflow resistance. Add to that the original low-resistance design for old-style gravity registers, and you’ve got a very low resistance air delivery system. Ironically, modern furnaces with direct-drive blowers need some resistance in the system to get “up-to-speed” and move air effectively. Our product provides resistance similar to a standard, modern, sidewall register. This actually can improve your system’s efficiency by getting your fan motor and blower up to its rated speed!

Better back-to-back mounting:

You can mount these registers “back-to-back” and open them 100%. Sometimes, original ductwork installations used “dual register heads” on common walls (visualize a wall separating a living room and dining room). This makes it very difficult to completely open a “single valve/damper flap” because it will bump up against the open damper on the opposing side. Our product solves that problem because our “multi valve” damper blades only slightly extend into the duct area.

Improved airflow to a second floor:

Older homes often used a common “chase” between floors. In other words, the rectangular duct run extends from the basement to the first floor, and then continues up to the second. If the “single valve/damper flap” on the first floor (original register) is extended to the open position deep into the duct, air to the second floor is “robbed” by the first floor. Our multi-valve design allows for adjustment without robbing all the air. This can actually help to better heat and cool the second floor while getting air delivery on the first floor.

Better at directing airflow and mixing:

Original designs for old-style gravity registers offer no effective “directing” of air out from the register face. With ours, airflow can be directed generally upward or downward depending on which side the handle is mounted (because of the orientation of the damper blades). This is a nice feature if furniture, for example, is in the way. Also, you might notice better air distribution into the living space. This is a function of modern register design that channels and “throws” air through its fins into the room.

Please note:

Gravity central furnaces were discontinued years ago because of minimum government energy efficiency standards. If you happen to have an ancient gravity furnace from the 30’s, 40’s or 50’s, then you can still use this product. But, none of these features apply. These product statements are based on customer feedback and common sense. There are a variety of factors that vary from house-to-house, such as duct design, duct leakage, furnace and air conditioner type and setup, etc. Therefore, you might realize none, some or all of these benefits.