Split level "vent" idea...

Jun 09, 2006 2 Replies
M

We recently added an addition to the rear of our house and, now that it's summer, have noticed that the area of the house where the addition was added from no longer gets adequate ventilation (AC) to cool the room to the temperature of the rest of the house. The house is a split level on a hill with the lower level being mostly underground. Becuase of this, the lower level is consistantly 10 degrees or more cooler than the upstairs.



I was thinking last night of ways to move the air around the house a little better. Is there such thing as a simple floor vent fan that looks like a floor vent of the A/C system but is really just a simple tube run through the floor into the basement with a small fan blowing the cooler basement air up?



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S

Not sure- sounds like a neat idea, but some issues to consider: what goes out, must come in- where is basement getting make-up air? 2 Fire code issues. Generally openings between floors are a no-no. You have boiler/ furnace down there? 3 Air quality- no problems with mustiness/ mold/ radon?

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J

While it may help a little, it is not really an answer. That basement air will not be cool long and then it will not be helping to cool the part of the home that is hot. You would have to move a lot of air that is say 5º cooler than you would air coming from the A/C that is likely to be closer to

20º cooler and remember that that 5º different will decrease as warmer air is replacing the cooler air in that basement.

I suggest your best bet is to find a local HVAC tech who knows what they are doing and talk over your alternatives with them. They will need to be on site to see what you have and likely do some measurements and calculations.

Since you apparently did not increase the size of your HVAC it may not be up to the job of the larger heat load.

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