does furniture absorb heat?

Question

if there is a couch over a heater vent and the heater is on, will the couch absorb the heat. if so, will the heat absorbed by the couch be emited back into the room?

well i was telling my dad that because the couch in my room is over a vent but the vent is currently inactive. he was trying to say that if he turned it on that the heat would go into the room and my mom and i strongly disagreed. then he made us look dumb and said we dont think mechanically or logically and i was pretty much like :/ we'll see...

Answer 1

Yes the furniture absorbs heat. It will heat up super hot and retain almost all the heat. It will not radiate any usable amount of heat. (However your seat cushions will be toasty warm.) Your room will be colder if you block the vent with furniture. Try setting the furniture on blocks and use an air deflector(available at most home improvement stores).

Answer 2

You can tell yourself by touching. A closed vent should keep the heat out of the room and off the couch. When the heat is on for awhile check it by feeling the vent and then the couch just above it. The vent should be warm but the couch cold if the vent is closed( some vents leak). If you want heat in the room but there is no where else to put the couch, use a heat deflector you can get at any hardware store. After installing check the couch. The fire danger should be minimal as long a the couch is not hot to the touch.

Answer 3

Move the couch. The heater will heat the couch, but the couch will NOT heat the room. Unless it catches on fire, then everyone will be nice and toasty warm.

Answer 4

Kili,
Definitely! Move the couch immediately. That is a serious fire hazard. You won't get much heat from that area, either, but the couch will be warm, eventually too hot. Please move it right away.

Answer 5

There would be a very limited amount of radiant heat.