# Cold Air Return near ceiling or floor?



## jakobus (Jul 19, 2005)

I am finihsing my basement and have just put in the duct and registers in 3 rooms. I want to put in a cold air return now, but I'm not sure whether the grille goes near the floor or the ceiling. Upstairs, the registers are in the floor and the cold air return is near the ceiling, but everything I read says the cold air return should be near the floor. Is it different for central-air systems than it was for the house I grew up in, where the returns were near the floor? Thanks.


----------



## Scott_K (Mar 28, 2005)

I recently had a dual zone central system installed. Both returns (1st and 2nd floor) are in the ceilings. The thermostat is suppose to be relatively close to the return as well. All central air systems I've seen have had the returns in the ceilings. Not sure if the fact that you're in a basement has any bearing on how the system should be setup.


----------



## murray (Jun 3, 2005)

oopss


----------



## murray (Jun 3, 2005)

for a/c ,the return is in the cieling ,to condition the hot air.In the basement ,there is not a problem with cooling ,but you want to condition (heat ) the cold air on the floor.so if the return is on the floor ,the cold air would be drawn into the system.it is ideal to have the upstairs return in the ceiling and the downstairs return on the floor,this will help bring the heat down and the cool up IMO...


----------

