In an effort to keep the house circa appropriate, the owner really hates the idea of punching a hole in a wall for an air return. She has suggested putting the air return in a first floor hallway closet. Something tells me this isn’t a good idea but frankly I don’t know much about this end of things. Advice?
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Highlights
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Fine Home Building
Follow
-
Fine Homebuilding
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial Now -
GBA Prime
Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
- Home Group
- Antique Trader
- Arts & Crafts Homes
- Bank Note Reporter
- Cabin Life
- Cuisine at Home
- Fine Gardening
- Fine Woodworking
- Green Building Advisor
- Garden Gate
- Horticulture
- Keep Craft Alive
- Log Home Living
- Military Trader/Vehicles
- Numismatic News
- Numismaster
- Old Cars Weekly
- Old House Journal
- Period Homes
- Popular Woodworking
- Script
- ShopNotes
- Sports Collectors Digest
- Threads
- Timber Home Living
- Traditional Building
- Woodsmith
- World Coin News
- Writer's Digest
Replies
A return in the hall may work, but forget putting one in the closet. The name of the game in HVAC is free air circulation between the supply and return. Anything that obstructs that flow (i.e. closed doors) seriously reduces the effeciency of the system.
"Closet", as in a small space sealed off from the rest of the area with a CLOSED door? If so, how's the air going to get to the duct? Ahh, louvered door on the closet you say? That would work, if the closet is not too packed, but everything stored in the closet would have a perpetual coating of dust.
The HVAC systems in the restored houses in Williamsburg always fascinated me. They have come up with really clever ways to move air without using readily apparent vents. One trick they have is to use an otherwise unused fireplace as a return. Any chance this would work for you?
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA