[Greenbuilding] Cold air return/s

[William R Bloom]

Hi Larry:

You don't mention it but I am assuming that your furnace 
output is ducted to your home's rooms, a duct and register 
to the bedrooms, living room, kitchen and so forth.  For 
each room you typically want a cold air return and I would 
position it in respect to the supply registers to 
encourage a good air movement in the room example being 
you don't want to locate it right next to the supply 
register where it will suck the air right back without 
conditioning the room.  I couldn't think of an example of 
two air returns being beneficial unless the room is so 
large that it requires more than one register.

Another important note about return air registers, do not 
put them in the bathrooms.

Others may have more input.

I just finished changing out my 1920's adobe ranch from a 
gravity floor furnace in the living room and a wall 
furnace shared between two bedrooms to a ducted 96% 
efficient horizontal forced air in the crawlspace.  I ran 
ducts to each room locating the registers at areas of high 
heat loss, (under windows usually) and the return air 
across the room to encourage good air movement.  I did run 
ducts to my bathrooms, but no return airs.  With the 
insulation I added to the roof, new Anderson wood windows 
U = .32 and the adobe block walls, my heating bills went 
from around $300 a month peak to $60.

Bill
Albuquerque



On Sun, 26 Jun 2011 14:15:16 -0500
  "Myers, Larry A." <MyersL at missouri.edu> wrote:
> I am in the middle of a near total renovation of a 30 
>year old house (1600 sf, 3 BR, 2 Bath), that wasn't great 
>energywise to start with. I am making some modest changes 
>to save energy -- more insulation, triple pane windows, 
>Energy Star roofing and appliances, etc.
> 
> I have a reasonably efficient gas furnace/AC unit. My 
>question: Is there an optimum place to site the cold air 
>return? And is there any advantage to having two returns, 
>or more? If so, where?
> 
> Thank you.
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