Not as you would think.
You actually want the the warm air to wash the exterior walls and windows and then it will enter the occupied zone.

 

As second mentioned, you want the heated/cooled air to wash the outside walls of the home. That is where the most heat is gained or lost. If you heat/cool the outside walls of a home, then guess what the indoor temperature will be....yep you guessed it, the same as the t'stat set point. Blowing the tempered air across the floor will cause drafts and poor comfort.

 

A taught maybe to point that at the window or glass door

 

You can also buy commercial grade registers that allow you to direct airflow w/o using an external deflector.

 

This is all counter intuitive to me. My primary goal is efficiency and a lower bill for a similar comfort level.

Your saying that by washing the outside walls with warm air I will have a more efficiency more and consistent heating because I'm heating the thermal barrier. (Attacking the source of the loss.)

 

If the air doesn't warm those outside walls. As soon as the blower stops you will tend to feel cool. Because your body will radiate heat to the cold walls.

 

Yep, you've got it right

 

Bottom line is this...

your wife is right.

remember it. live it. learn it. love it.

 

now that y'all have determined the answer ...I have a different pov
for consideration.

if you wash the outside walls with warm air from supplies on floor
you are accelerating convective currents.

air at rest has an R-value in accordance with manual J.

I've often read comments about placement of supplies in ceilings
that have raised the same questions for me.
supplies that are located close to exterior walls and air
aimed at the windows & exterior walls, general
consensus seems to be that this works best.

this consensus was formed prior to better efficiency in windows,
air sealing, and better insulation properties of walls.

in the newer homes where air tightness & R/U-factors are improved
location of supplies are often closer to interior walls than exterior
walls.

years ago before efficient windows, the windows
were just an area of the wall with no insulation value. as the glass
let light in, cold & heat transfered from outside to inside via the glass.

now we have efficient windows, low U factors & solar heat gain coefficients.
its a big step up from a single paned window.
one of the things that make windows more efficient now is that the two panes
of glass stop convective currents between the panes.
air at rest providing an added insulation value, that was lacking
in single pane windows.
IGU (insulated glass units) now have
inert gasses like argon, low e coatings to reflect heat into the room
for heating climates & to reflect heat out of the room in cooling climates.
its good stuff...and the windows type plays a big part in load calcs.

I'm not saying someone is right & someone is wrong here...
just wondering what y'alls thoughts on this are.

tia!

 

Many walls now are R19 or better. But if you don't heat up that wall. Once the heat/blower stops running, you feel the radiant heat loss to that wall.