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Heating & Air Conditioning

Heating / Air Return in Basement

16 years ago

Attempting to heat my basement...my whole house in on one zone, so I know it would be optimal by no means, but I taped into the main supply and ran 2 - 6" round feeds to a wall and then transtioned it to 6" oval to floor registers. I was considering running a 3rd. Several questions:

1) Can taping off like this through off the rest of the home, or should I be "OK".

2) Can heat work OK running horizontally, and then down to the floor register...or am I better off venting at the ceiling?

3) My most important question...In regards to the air return...on about 4 joist cavities in the basement, there is sheet metal covering the joist cavity which serves as the "duct" to return for the first floor air return registers. Can I tap into this for my basement return. I was considering cutting several square and/or rectangular holes. Other than this, I am trying to figure out how to get a return because the accessible walls have the new supply feeds.

In regards to #3...this whole set up kinds seems strange to me. I never knew it existed until I tore the sheetrock down in my basement. Is this normal? Someone at work mentioned this was the "cheap" way to do things years ago. How did they connect the sealed off joist to the main return?

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Comments (4)

tmajor
16 years ago
Actually, that method for returns was pretty common and I don't see much wrong with it. My house has it. Follow the covered joists out and you'll get to a duct or the furnace.

Heat dumped in the basement can't be all bad. It's in the house and is going to rise anyhow. I'm not even sure you'll need returns from the basement. I'd try it without, first.

Upstairs may require a little adjustment and maybe not.
pete_p_ny
Original Author
16 years ago
thanks...when you say follow the joists out...the covered joist goes up to the mid point of the basement were the joist cavity has a square plate making it sealed...should I cut a square hole in the covered part and put a vent cover there?

I was hoping a return will assists with moving air around being my supply ducts are not optimal. And hoping it will provide benefits in the summer with basement humidity.
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What type of heat and how do you heat your water? Returning from the basement can be against codes. If you heat with gas or oil there is always the possibility to pull flue gassed through the water heater chimney or draft diverter if the return is in the same room as the furnace or there is insufficient combustion air in the space. Have a contractor check the pressure in the return duct. It may be possible to "redirect" where the air is being pulled from by blocking the basement return. Ideally, you want 60% of the return air to come from the high point in the system. Your description would indicate that is not happening. The only time you want to return from the basement is if you wife has cold feet in the winter and she is spending a lot of time in the basement. Good luck,
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A clogged french drain led to water in a basement bedroom and has kicked off discussions of remodeling our finished basement. Currently have an independent zoned heat pump for use in the basement. Located in the south so humidity is an issue we need to address. Rare for the AC to kick on so usually just heat and the air circulating. Also deciding on whether or not to enclose the patio and created more usable space at the basement level. Ductwork would be impossible or likely improbable due to cost. Current age of heat pump is 12 years old. Wondering what our options are for HVAC? We could add a PTAC unit for the new room (enclosed patio) and wait for the old unit to crap out and replace with an in-line dehumidifier. Or potentially use a mini split system - I've seen the wall unit, ceiling cassette, the concealed duct but seems like this could be potentially very expensive? Adding a photo - the red circle is the potential new room that we will turn into more living space that needs heat/ac. Thoughts? Any other suggestions?
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tmajor
16 years ago
I suggested following the joists, so you could satisfy yourself, as to how it got back to the furnace.

You can try opening an area of the return. If it doesn't work out, it can be resealed.

"And hoping it will provide benefits in the summer with basement humidity."

What is your basement wall/foundation. What is the source of the humidity?
Brewbeer
16 years ago
I would put the returns down at floor level. If you put them in the ceiling, the warm air that is delivered to the room will rise to the ceiling and be sucked back into the heating system through the ceiling mounted returns.

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