cold air return placement puzzling

15 years ago

We are building a new home. They have just finished dry walling. My husband and I noticed that a couple of our cold air returns were moved from the bottom of a wall to the top/ceiling. When asking the builder he stated that in a ranch they stagger them. Would this be correct or do you find this funny? What is going on? Why wouldn't the HVAC guys have put them there to begin with if this is the case?

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Comments (4)

maryland_irisman
15 years ago
It appears the contractor was looking to balance the placement of the returns to find a happy medium. That can work to some extent depending on where he put them in relation to the one nearest it and which rooms either the high or low returns were placed.

Placement of return ducts has always been an issue. Ideally, during the cooling season they should be high and in the heating season they should be low. The most common problems or complaints are, when they are low, placement of furniture to avoid blocking them becomes an issue. When they are high, many folks think they are unsightly. Ideally there should be a high and low return that would be opened and closed according to the season. However for cost, user dependability (or confusion) to open and close the proper return and overall looks, this is not often done.

The air in the home stratifies, cooler air low, warmer air high. The idea is to get the comfort zone, that area above the floor and below the ceiling where we humans hang out to the right temperature range. Drawing the cooler air in the heating season from the lower strata brings the warmer air from the ceiling further down and at the same time, heats the cooler air. In summer, drawing the warmer air from the higher strata brings the cooler air higher into the room and at the same time, cools the drawn in air.
paul52446m
15 years ago
If you hot air is coming out of the floor on out side walls the proper engine nearing would tell you to take 80% of return hi
and 20% low in each room. If you get too much low you will cause drafts across the floor and you need that 80% hi to get that heat of the ceiling. Paul
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david_cary
15 years ago
Practice does seem dependent on climate and I'm guessing you are mixed. Your builder may be onto something. Here in NC - we put them low even though we are mixed. In FL - they are high.
annieecamp
Original Author
15 years ago
You guys are great. I am feeling better. Our heating/air ducts have been placed on outside walls and many of our returns are on lower wall on inside walls but he moved a couple higher (maybe he is on to something and knows what he is doing). This makes me feel a lot better! I live in midwest and we have a lot of variations.