# furnace cold air return vent placement



## thehvacguy (Oct 30, 2009)

Where is your furnace located? If its in an attic then put the return in the ceiling in the hallway or other centrally located place. If your furnace is in a closet then cut in the return on the wall under your furnace


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## euroboy (Nov 26, 2010)

As a rule, low returns are best for the heating season, high during cooling season. In some locations both are installed, with louvers that are opened as needed. In general the feeling seems that any return is better than none.


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## hvac benny (Dec 29, 2009)

*"furance cold air return vent placement"*


The best place for a FURNACE cold air return vent is down low, as that is where the colder air is, as cooler air is denser and hot air will sit on top of the dense air.


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## thehvacguy (Oct 30, 2009)

Wait for input by beenthere, he will have the right answer


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

If your using the correct supply registers. Placement of the return doesn't matter. The correct supply register will throw the heated air down to the floor if its a ceiling register. Causing the room air to mix with the heated air, so that there is no cold air sitting on the floor.

A floor supply will also mix the room air, including the air at floor level, if its the right register. So that a ceiling return would still be ok. Although if the supplies are in the floor, it generally means the return is also easier to put in the floor.

Placement of the return is only of concern in that it must be in an area that has an open path to it for the air from all conditioned areas to "return" to it.

All of the above also requires the duct work to be sized right also.


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## euroboy (Nov 26, 2010)

I recently watched a video from an HVAC company on how they used to install the supply close to the floor in the basement, but what they found in the end they were better off leaving the supply in the ceiling, as they had better air velocity and better mixing. I believe they were putting the returns down low. 
Also, there seems to be a lot of discussion on the proper location of returns - one idea floating around, especially for renovations, is to have a central return per floor, and one in each master, and use transfer grilles to move the air from the other locations. I suspect in the case of the basement, it actually might be easier to run ducts as needed as compared having to go, to say second floor.


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