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Subject Author Date
Heater Air Return Mike B 11-29-2006
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Posted by Mike B on November 29, 2006, 10:52 pm
Replacing old oil burner furnace with natural gas. Have problem heating one
end of the house. One of the items to correct this is to add an additional
air return closer to the cold end of the house. Current air return is in
hall at other end of house, about 30' away. Ductwork starts out at 16"
which is size or air return duct.

Question: Is it a problem to locate the systems air return in a laundry
room even though it is more centrally located and open to the rest of the
house?

Thanks
Mike B




Posted by dpb on November 30, 2006, 10:02 am

Mike B wrote:
> Replacing old oil burner furnace with natural gas. Have problem heating one
> end of the house. One of the items to correct this is to add an additional
> air return closer to the cold end of the house. Current air return is in
> hall at other end of house, about 30' away. Ductwork starts out at 16"
> which is size or air return duct.
>
> Question: Is it a problem to locate the systems air return in a laundry
> room even though it is more centrally located and open to the rest of the
> house?

Don't see any reason just because the area is the laundry area per se,
altho it's a little unusual to have a laundry area totally open if it
is in a central location.

Seems like a place to converse w/ the heating contractor to evaluate
the situation. Possibly moving the trunk return is best solution (as
in effective and relatively easy), perhaps a better one would be to add
a secondary return. Need far more info than possible over usenet to
judge and make any rational call on sizing, etc.


Posted by Mike B on December 1, 2006, 10:32 am

>
> Mike B wrote:
>> Replacing old oil burner furnace with natural gas. Have problem heating
>> one
>> end of the house. One of the items to correct this is to add an
>> additional
>> air return closer to the cold end of the house. Current air return is in
>> hall at other end of house, about 30' away. Ductwork starts out at 16"
>> which is size or air return duct.
>>
>> Question: Is it a problem to locate the systems air return in a laundry
>> room even though it is more centrally located and open to the rest of the
>> house?
>
> Don't see any reason just because the area is the laundry area per se,
> altho it's a little unusual to have a laundry area totally open if it
> is in a central location.
>
> Seems like a place to converse w/ the heating contractor to evaluate
> the situation. Possibly moving the trunk return is best solution (as
> in effective and relatively easy), perhaps a better one would be to add
> a secondary return. Need far more info than possible over usenet to
> judge and make any rational call on sizing, etc.
>

Have been taking proposals from heating contractors. Common suggestion has
been to increase size of ductwork to one end of house as well as adding a
second air return near the cold area of the house. Just so happens that in
this older, twice built, home the laundry room is central between the warm
2/3 rds and the cooler 1/3rd and would draw most of the return air from the
cooler end. Only 1 of 4 contractors was concerned about putting an air
return in the laundry room. He was concerned with "dust", probably lint
from the dryer, but dryer is vented to the outside.

Thanks for the thought.

Mike B



Posted by dpb on December 1, 2006, 12:06 pm

Mike B wrote:
...
> > Seems like a place to converse w/ the heating contractor to evaluate
> > the situation. Possibly moving the trunk return is best solution (as
> > in effective and relatively easy), perhaps a better one would be to add
> > a secondary return. Need far more info than possible over usenet to
> > judge and make any rational call on sizing, etc.
> >
>
> Have been taking proposals from heating contractors. Common suggestion has
> been to increase size of ductwork to one end of house as well as adding a
> second air return near the cold area of the house. Just so happens that in
> this older, twice built, home the laundry room is central between the warm
> 2/3 rds and the cooler 1/3rd and would draw most of the return air from the
> cooler end. Only 1 of 4 contractors was concerned about putting an air
> return in the laundry room. He was concerned with "dust", probably lint
> from the dryer, but dryer is vented to the outside.

Unless the implementation of the second return and the larger main
(ideally w/ adjustable balancing damper) is exorbitantly expensive (for
some definition of "exorbitant"), would seem far better solution in
general than hoping for the best if move the existing return. That, to
me, seems like a "cut-corners" solution fraught w/ a higher risk of not
being satisfactory. My inclination would be, why go cheap on what is
probably a relatively minor additional cost?

BTW, your posings seem to be being duplicated each time -- might try to
check into that.


Posted by Mike B on December 1, 2006, 10:33 am

>
> Mike B wrote:
>> Replacing old oil burner furnace with natural gas. Have problem heating
>> one
>> end of the house. One of the items to correct this is to add an
>> additional
>> air return closer to the cold end of the house. Current air return is in
>> hall at other end of house, about 30' away. Ductwork starts out at 16"
>> which is size or air return duct.
>>
>> Question: Is it a problem to locate the systems air return in a laundry
>> room even though it is more centrally located and open to the rest of the
>> house?
>
> Don't see any reason just because the area is the laundry area per se,
> altho it's a little unusual to have a laundry area totally open if it
> is in a central location.
>
> Seems like a place to converse w/ the heating contractor to evaluate
> the situation. Possibly moving the trunk return is best solution (as
> in effective and relatively easy), perhaps a better one would be to add
> a secondary return. Need far more info than possible over usenet to
> judge and make any rational call on sizing, etc.
>

Have been taking proposals from heating contractors. Common suggestion has
been to increase size of ductwork to one end of house as well as adding a
second air return near the cold area of the house. Just so happens that in
this older, twice built, home the laundry room is central between the warm
2/3 rds and the cooler 1/3rd and would draw most of the return air from the
cooler end. Only 1 of 4 contractors was concerned about putting an air
return in the laundry room. He was concerned with "dust", probably lint
from the dryer, but dryer is vented to the outside.

Thanks for the thought.

Mike B




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