Return Air System, a New Fabric Solution by FabricAir
FabricAir is introducing the Return Air System, built to collect air from the room. It pairs with FabricAir’s supply air ducts, completing the system with a material of the same nature.
Engineered for Everyday Performance
The system pulls warm, humid, or contaminated air out of a room through a perforated fabric surface that runs its full length. It operates at low static pressure and low-to-medium velocity, so the return stays quiet.
Beyond acoustics, the system delivers measurable gains across the installation:
- Minimal structural load on the ceiling, since the fabric system weighs a fraction of an equivalent sheet-metal return. This also makes the system a good fit for older buildings and retrofit projects, besides facilitating a more compact, efficient and sustainable transportation.
- A fabric return helps maintain the highest hygiene standards when required. Since return systems pull contaminated air from the room, they naturally collect dust and grime over time, so they need cleaning fairly often to stay hygienic. Fabric offers a real advantage over metal in this regard, since washing it is far simpler than servicing metal ductwork.
- No corrosion, since the fabric surface does not rust. This is especially relevant in humid or chlorinated environments, where metal ductwork typically struggles, requiring extra treatments.
Easy to Install and to Maintain
The Return Air System is easily installed due to the lightweight nature of fabric and the frame. It also comes with a choice of two types of suspension: adjustable cables (Suspension Type 21) or threaded rods (Suspension Type 22). Installation follows the same process customers already know, so there is no new learning curve on site.
Because the supply and return are now both completed in fabric the whole system is handled by one supplier, without the need to coordinate the hiring of a separate contractor.
The ease of installation also makes for effortless cleaning, since the system comes up and down quickly. The fabric sleeve can then be laundered, making the cleaning process significantly easier, quicker and cheaper than with metal return systems.
The fabric sleeve is finished in PU-coated fabrics from our Combi series (Combi 30,65,85 and 90), including some antibacterial options for spaces that need to meet hygiene requirements.
Applications
The Return Air System suits any occupied space that needs low-velocity air renewal, extraction, or exhaust, from schools to warehouses. Humid or chlorinated spaces such as swimming pools benefit even more, since the fabric finish resists the corrosion that typically affects metal ductwork unless it receives costly extra insulation.
Being lightweight, easy to install and visually adaptable, the system works well for structurally constrained retrofits and historic buildings that cannot bear the weight of metal ducting. It also suits seismic-sensitive projects, where a heavier alternative poses a greater risk causing damage.
Adaptability
The Return Air System also carries the same visual flexibility as FabricAir’s supply systems: standard colors, custom colors, and printed seamless patterns or logos, so the whole installation keeps one consistent look.
With the Return Air System, FabricAir extends the same standards of quality behind its supply ducts to the return process. Backed by ISO 9001 certification and more than 50 years of experience serving customers in 120 countries, FabricAir systems provide even air distribution, prevent drafts, and help with energy efficiency.
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