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Vent on return duct?

Chicagobob | Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on July 27, 2004 08:18am

Hello everyone,

 

Just replaced my huge gravity furnace with a high efficient furnace and A/C.  The furnace  is placed in an unfinished open basement.  After installation, there was a whistling noise coming from a gap between the air filter and the furnace.  I called them back to fix it, and found not only did they tape up the gap, but they also installed a vent on the return around 3 1/2 feet from the floor.  My sales rep told me that he wanted that placed there for winter time, for better heating.  I am thinking that they cut the hole to allieviate the pressure to stop the whistling noise, and when that did not work, they taped up the gap.  Is that vent in the return needed? 

Thanks,

Bob

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Replies

  1. User avater
    IMERC | Jul 27, 2004 08:39pm | #1

    That doesn't sound right....

    Is the vent more like a damper???

    It's also very possible that yur blower is over sized for the ducting... When whistling is heard in the ducting the CFM rate is too high for yur sized duct... The solution for a quieter system is a larger duct.... Duct = $$$$.. So whose will it be???

    Without knowing ratings or sizings my guess is the system is mismatched....  The blower can pull more than the duct can deliver...

    My sales rep told me that he wanted that placed there for winter time, for better heating. = BS...

    Time to light somebody up...

    Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming....

                                                                       WOW!!!   What a Ride!

    1. Chicagobob | Jul 27, 2004 09:22pm | #2

      I guess I do not know what you mean by vent vs. damper.  They cut a hole in the return, and covered it 6" by 12" sidewall register.  They told me to have it open in winter and closed in the summer.

      1. User avater
        IMERC | Jul 27, 2004 09:58pm | #3

        It's a vent..

        So you are pulling air in from the basement  and the up stairs return air is cut back...

        Not as efficient as they would have you believe.. Raise the thermal mass of the basement and... Well that's another thread....

        How many ton blower do you have?? Is it muliti-speed?? Do you know the CFM of it???

        Brand and model# of the new unit???

        Size of the plehem???

        What is the size of the duct??? Main trunk lenght??? Branches???

        Let's be anal-litic about this....

        Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming....                                                                   WOW!!!   What a Ride!

      2. User avater
        rjw | Jul 27, 2004 10:23pm | #4

        Also, how big is the space the furnace is in? As a general rule you shouldn't have a return vent witing 10' of the airhandler/combustion chamber - it can reduce the local air pressure and cause back drafting of the flue gases. (That is why the blower compartment door has a safety disconnect switch on it.)

        I'd consider having it checked out by a different heating contractor.

        And read the installation and operation manual which the mechanical codes tell us is supposed to be left with the unit installed.

        "It is as hard for the good to suspect evil, as it is for the bad to suspect good."

        -- Marcus Tullius Cicero, statesman, orator, writer (106-43 BCE)

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