Basement finsihing- cold air return


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Old 04-11-03, 04:52 PM
U
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Basement finsihing- cold air return

Hi-

My village says that each room (except the bathroom) has to have a cold air return when I finish my basement. Generally, what do I have to do to meet this requirement? Does the duct have to have a certain area in square feet when it meets the room? Can I just run a duct from each room to the main cold air return and just attach it anywhere to the main cold air return going into the furnace? What kind of ducting do I have to use? Is there a place on the web where I can find an example of what I need to do?

Thanks,
Steve
 
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Old 04-11-03, 07:44 PM
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Question More info please.

Steve:

Yes you can run a duct from each room and connect it to the retrn air plenum at the furnace.
It would be usefull to have construction details of your house and existing ductwork to be able to offer a suggestion as to how to do it.

Some ductwork info:
http://www.llbuildingproducts.com/ll...ips-frame.html
http://www.fpl.com/savings/hes/conte...t_layout.shtml
 
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Old 04-11-03, 08:12 PM
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As far as the general layout, right now I have just a very large basement, with numerous overhead vents for heating and air conditioning, evenly spaced along the length of the basement. Since each room that I am building (4 in all- bathroom 8'x9', office 15'x 20', TV room 20'x30', bedroom 11' x 14') has at least one overhead vent from the builder in it, I think all I have to do (correct me if I'm wrong) is extend these overhead vents down to the level of what what will be my suspended ceiling to meet the heat/air conditioning needs of that particular room.

As far as the cold air return, when I get to that point all I will have is joists overhead and framed out walls. Considering the size of the above mentioned rooms, what are some techniques I can use for a cold air return? Can I just place a metal sheet along the bottom of the joists as my builder did for the upstairs room and just use the joists as a "duct" to the furnace cold air return? Can I just buy some metal ducting from Home Depot and make a path for a cold air return and just use those small self tapping screws and duct tape AC guys use to join ducts together?

The websites listed were very interesting, thanks!
 
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Old 04-12-03, 05:32 AM
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Steve:
Yes you can pan the joists for return air.

What type of heating system do you have?

Some more about what would be usefull to know:
http://forum.doityourself.com/showth...hreadid=122673
 
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Old 04-12-03, 06:00 AM
firsthvac
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When asking about what techniques you should use, the best consultant is a local building inspector or installation company since building and safety codes vary so widely. What would be ok in my area might not be so in yours. And you can learn about what techniques are open to you by searching the web, going to the local library and bookstores for DIY books on ducting.


When you come to doing the actual ductwork...don't be skimpy about the materials. Look into doing the job properly so you won't be paying for it down the road. If it costs a few extra dollars to use screws eventhough tape will work, use them both. You won't regret making sure the work will last and perform properly.

I wish you the best of luck on your project
 
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Old 04-12-03, 06:18 AM
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Steve:

firsthvac has a good point about consulting a ventilation company on this.
We can give you general tips but we are not there and can't really see the whole picture.
This is why I asked you twice for information about your place.
An example of a problem you can run into is that if you have a standard efficiency gas furnace and put a large return air near the furnace, you could cause a reverse draft in the chimney, creating a hazardous condition.
Also, you want your basement rooms to be comfortable.
Maybe this would be the time to bite the bullet and pay someone for their experience.
 
 

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