Removing Floor Vent Registers Fitted with Filters

Components

• Floor vent registers are available in a myriad styles and sizes to suit both decor and installations. A register does not contain a filter because it is no more than a louvered covering plate. Beneath the register, however, is a small void called a dumper box; the dumper box contains the mechanisms that control air flow and the filter if a filter is used.

Sizes

• Most floor registers sold in home improvement stores and department stores measure 4 inches by 12 inches. It does not matter if a duct’s outlet is smaller than that size because the register can be screwed onto the floor above any size outlet that is not larger than the register.

Attachment Methods

• Floor vent registers are available in many styles and sizes. Many have an underside lip that simply fits into the top of the dumper box; gravity holds those kind of registers in place, and they are typically made of heavy materials so that vacuum cleaners cannot lift them out of their location.

  Other styles are held in place by two screws -- one each in the middle of the short sides of the register, and the screws must be removed before the register can be lifted out. If a register is larger than the vent outlet, screws may be driven into the floor. If a register is sized to match the dumper box, the screws are driven into tabs pressed from the box sides.

  A less conventional style of register is hinged and opens like a small door in the floor. This type of register is typically fitted with the hinged long side closest to the wall.

Removal

• Removing a register held in place by gravity simply requires lifting it out of the top of the dumper box. If the register resists, slip a flat-bladed screwdriver under one end, and flick the register upward, taking care not to damage flooring. If the register is fastened in place by screws, then remove the screws by turning them left, or counterclockwise, and then lift the register upward.

  Removing a hinged-type register begins with locating the small spring tab in the center of the long side opposite the side with the hinge. Using the tab lifts the register.

Filter Removal

• Most filters are simply cloth pads laid in place over a support mesh. Infrequently, specially sized filters with a rim are used, and they snap into place. Various rim types have either a small rib around the side or a small tab that clips into a receiver. Both styles are removed in the same way: Simply slip a thumbnail under a part of the outer edge, and flick the filter from its housing. If the filter does not come away this easily, perhaps it was cemented in place by a spilled sticky drink. In that case, use a flat-bladed screwdriver as a lever between the filter's outer edge and the dumper box's side.

Electrostatic Air Vent Filters

• Electrostatic air vent filters are designed to have a long-lasting charge that increases their filtering effectiveness. Such filters may not be available in the exact size needed, but they can be cut to size according to their manufacturer’s instructions on packaging. Using an old filter as a cutting template creates perfect sizing.