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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

OT Cold air return

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Indiana George

12-03-2006 16:34:24




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What is the function of cold air return.I have an old farm house, built over hundred years ago,and the furnace was put in years later.The house does not have any cold air returns.Will this effect the performance of the furnace? Thanks in advance, George




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2x4

12-03-2006 22:37:03




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 Re: OT Cold air return in reply to Indiana George, 12-03-2006 16:34:24  
if you do put in a cold air return, do not put one in the kitchen; anything burnt will smell up the whole house.



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noncompos

12-03-2006 18:06:41




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 Re: OT Cold air return in reply to Indiana George, 12-03-2006 16:34:24  
If your furnace is one of the old octopus types in the basement, see if there"s a large sheet-metal pipe that runs to an opening in the basement wall...some of these units, especially if originally burning wood chips, sawdust or coal, when fuel was dirt cheap, had combustion air drawn from outside the basement, the heat rising thru grates in the first floor and usually grates in the first floor ceiling that let heat up into the second floor, as mentioned in other replies.

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Janicholson

12-03-2006 17:37:58




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 Re: OT Cold air return in reply to Indiana George, 12-03-2006 16:34:24  
Providing a path for return air to the furnace does not need to be ducts, its (was) done by putting in passages from upper floors to the basement (or wherever the furnace is located) Floor cold air returns were grates in the floor about 20% larger than the ducts for the hot air (in square inches of crossectional area) This also makes sound/smell travel easily between where you make it to where you don't want it.
If it were mine, I would have a high wfficiency forced air furnace installed. If you are in southern IN, it might be ok to use the old one, but a new one will pay for itself. JimN

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Rustyj14

12-03-2006 17:37:33




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 Re: OT Cold air return in reply to Indiana George, 12-03-2006 16:34:24  
The furnace heats the air-the blower sends the heated air up thru the heat pipes,usually tin, square or round galvanised pipes, usually in the walls, maybe the floor. Various square or rectangular pipes, thin tin. Usually one outlet in each room. Then there might be a cold air return in each room, which sends the cooler air back down through a larger tin pipe, into the blower area of the furnace, from whence it is heated by the furnace, and blown back up thru the tin pipes mentioned before. now, if you don't have a cold air return, your furnace can't complete the heating cycle. And, it will waste gas, or fuel oil, propane, etc., by running more to accomplish the heating of the house. If you don't have a furnace blower, then the house is usually heated by a large floor vent, connected directly to the furnace, and the heat will then drift around the house, and eventually upstairs. This heating method was in use in the 1880's and early nineties. Most homes built since the 30's have forced air, steam heat, or some other method of heating, especially the upstairs. I think you should install some other type of heating, especially if you live in a cold climate. you'll save a bundle on gas, oil, propane, whatever you use. Talk to the local furnace installer. they can set you aright on how to do it right!

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Sam#3

12-03-2006 17:06:39




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 Re: OT Cold air return in reply to Indiana George, 12-03-2006 16:34:24  
If it is a forced air system simply go to the furnace and see where the blower gets its air. It is not necessary to have cold air ducts just an avenue for circular flow. Do you have a filter? If so that is the return.



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Indiana George

12-03-2006 16:56:20




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 Re: OT Cold air return in reply to Indiana George, 12-03-2006 16:34:24  
Bus driver, the furnace does not have a blower



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Bus Driver

12-03-2006 18:11:44




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 Re: OT Cold air return in reply to Indiana George, 12-03-2006 16:56:20  
That is the convection system. It works, but much higher efficiency is obtainable from newer designs. It will involve removing everything now installed and starting over. I would wait until warm weather next year.



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john cub owner

12-04-2006 14:59:22




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 Re: OT Cold air return in reply to Bus Driver, 12-03-2006 18:11:44  
We once owned a house with no cold air return duct. The furnace was in the basement, and just had an opening with filter in the side for the cold air. there was a register in a wall of the basement steps that just opened into the basement to allow the return are into it.



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Chris(WA)

12-03-2006 16:46:15




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 Re: OT Cold air return in reply to Indiana George, 12-03-2006 16:34:24  
Cold air return allows for curculation of the heated air in the rooms. With out return air the blower just pressurizes the rooms.Air circulation is a loop. Return air allows the heated air to displace the cooler air in the room and allow it to return to the furnace to be reheated. Hope this explains it a bit.



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4010guy

12-03-2006 16:45:24




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 Re: OT Cold air return in reply to Indiana George, 12-03-2006 16:34:24  
If ya want a warm tp you gotta keep the air a moven,,In other words to get the hot air in you gotta git rid of the cold air,,I take it you live in a warm climate?



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Bus Driver

12-03-2006 16:44:20




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 Re: OT Cold air return in reply to Indiana George, 12-03-2006 16:34:24  
Does your furnace have a blower? It may be a "gravity hot air" setup that circulates by convection. If it has a blower, the blower gets a supply of air from somewhere. It is more efficient to add heat to room air that is already rather warm than to add it to outside air that may be very cold. The room air, if blown outside, carries lots of heat away.



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old art

12-03-2006 18:06:04




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 Re: OT Cold air return in reply to Bus Driver, 12-03-2006 16:44:20  
dose this furnace have 1 large regester in the floor right over the furnace if so it a pipeless furnace . the regester has a round circle in the middle where the heat comes out the out side of the circle is where the cold air returns . grew up with one . just keep shoveling in the coal.



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