Air return

[PVR]

My condo uses central heating/air conditioning. All rooms have floor level registers and returns (which are high up).

The furnace is located in the basement. There are four registers in the basement, all directly on the plenum. There is no provision for air return in the basement although there are several air return paths between the joists using 'ThermPan' board. There is a strong breeze beneath the basement door when the fan is On.

Is this absence of a return in the basement normal or more likely to be an error by the central air installer? What should I do to prevent the strong breeze coming down the basement stairs?

Peter.

[udarrell]

That could also be a dangerous situation! Call the city heat and air code inspector and give him that information, and more!

With a normal vented furnace, the furnace room would have to be separate and sealed off, air tight, from any return air in the basement or you would have a hazardous situation. - udarrell

[~^Johnny^~]

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

The strong breeze under the basement door is probley a sign of a poor design of the ducting system by it suppose to use return duct to return the air and not come under the basement door, but rare do anybody ever do anything about it for you will start taking out a bunch of the walls to re-design the ducting system and it is not worth it.

Now about Darrel saying about a Code violation . i really would not know unless you tell what all the details was about your system set up, Area of the country, and what type system you have.

TURTLE

[C & M]

Enlighten us why this is dangerous, udarrell. I hadn' t hear this before.