Replies

1. 
   rez | Sep 24, 2005 06:53pm | #1

   Greetings JAR,

   as a first time poster welcome to Breaktime.

   This post, in response to your question, will bump the thread through the 'recent discussion' listing again.

   Perhaps it will catch someones attention that can help you with advice.

   Cheers

    

   r u a feckless dastard?
   
    

   
    

1. 
   rank48 | Sep 25, 2005 01:02am | #2

   thanks for the encouragement, more response than my builder so far....
   JAR

2. 
   JasonD | Sep 25, 2005 04:34am | #3

   Hi,
   I'm no super-duper expert here, but it might be helpful if I (we) knew if the HVAC is also 30 years old or is it a fairly recent install.
   You mention 30 years ago you were in the HVAC business, I know I've read article after article about how things have changed in the past 20-30 years, especially along the lines of HVAC and moisture removal. One thing I've found again and again is the ongoing arguments about whether or not to condition a crawlspace (perhaps similar to your "undeveloped" section of basement).
   I guess the older train of thought was to button things up tight. The newer train of thought - based on all this mold, mildew, and certainly all this black mold business, seems to be more towards letting a house breath more.
   Where your guy says "mixing of zones" - who can tell, but if he's borrowong a little capactity off the upstairs unit in an attempt to even partiallyy condition the basement -- maybe he's not crazy.

1. 
   hurnik | Sep 25, 2005 05:16am | #4

   By discharge register, I'm assuming you mean a forced air output (as opposed to an air intake) vent?If that's the case, I guess it wouldn't make much sense to heat or cool an undeveloped area of the basement.Unless they were just "planning" ahead?If it's an air intake, I would think that MAY be helpful in the sense that, in the hot summer months, you could put the fan on (not the AC) and use it to pull the cool air from the basement and help circulate it throughout the house.At least that's what I do with mine, and it works quite well.Granted, all my basement is finished, except for a small spot in the "laundry" room (where the furnace and hot water units are).That room doesn't need an output vent because it gets the ambient heat off the ducts (plus it's not like I'm in there a lot).

1. 
   rank48 | Sep 27, 2005 11:24pm | #6

   By discharge register, I'm assuming you mean a forced air output (as opposed to an air intake) vent? Correct If that's the case, I guess it wouldn't make much sense to heat or cool an undeveloped area of the basement.So far were on the same pageUnless they were just "planning" ahead?If it's an air intake, I would think that MAY be helpful in the sense that, in the hot summer months, you could put the fan on (not the AC) and use it to pull the cool air from the basement and help circulate it throughout the house.NO not an intake, its a register that works all seasons and this part of the full basement (9ft ceilings) is shut off from the rest of the developed basement.At least that's what I do with mine, and it works quite well.Granted, all my basement is finished, except for a small spot in the "laundry" room (where the furnace and hot water units are).That room doesn't need an output vent because it gets the ambient heat off the ducts (plus it's not like I'm in there a lot).
   Thanks so far for your input.JAR

2. 
   rank48 | Sep 27, 2005 11:18pm | #5

   thanks for your input.
   JAR