Cold air returns in basement for dehumidification?

9 years ago

Hello,
I am having two new HVAC units installed and asked the installer about dehumidifying the basement. Here in Ohio it can get very humid in the summer months. The installer said instead of adding a whole house dehumidifier, he could install an air return vent in each unit in the basement in the main return trunk right before it hits the filter. I thought that seemed ok, but when I told this to another installer he said that technique is 'old school' (the first installer is old school and has been installing for 30 years) and inspectors look down on that type of installation now days because it sucks in stuff from the basement ie mold spores, etc. Plus, he said, in the winter I wouldn't want cold air being sucked in to the furnace from the basement as it would make the furnace work harder. Anybody know if installing cold air returns in the basement (unfinished) is ok? Basement has cement floors, walls, etc.
Thanks,
Jeff

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Comments (6)

User
9 years ago
Jeff,

When I replaced my A/C and oil burner with a HP and oil furnace three years ago, we added a return from my 1000 Sq foot basement because of high summer humidity.

My basement is about 2/3 finished and the rest work room/heating/cooling/hot water heater.

It did reduce the humidity and I don't feel that filter cleaning is excessive.

I had not thought about blocking it off during the winter - until you brought it up. !@#$%
Jeff
Original Author
9 years ago
lol! Thanks for the reply saltidawg. I think the second installer was trying to make the first installer look bad. But this set up seems logical to me. And if it makes my portable dehumidifier run less, then I would be all for it.
Thanks,
Jeff
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User
9 years ago
In my case the cost of adding that basement return was essentially zero - it took maybe 30 minutes of one man's time and a small amount of material.

Obviously I paid for it, but it was not included in the original quote and it was suggested as they were installing the system and I mentioned the humidity present with my old system.

I think I may have bought them lunch. ;-) (Back in my Submarine days I swear I could have bought the Navy an extra submarine for three Foul Weather Jackets and two 20 pound tins of coffee.)

This post was edited by saltidawg on Tue, Jul 1, 14 at 11:46
ionized_gw
9 years ago
You don't want a return down there if there is radon.
User
9 years ago
"You don't want a return down there if there is radon."

Yup. I had tested for Radon earlier....

Sea Story: Back in the day (1960s) we'd get underway on our Submarine and soon every airborne radiation detector we had would alarm.

Inevitably it would be someone new that had a Glow-In-The-Dark wristwatch. We'd confiscate it and sealit away as radioactive waste.... until we returned to port. We'd return it and tell them not to bring it back on board!

Oh yeah, that was Radon Gas from the glow Watches.... extremely short half-life. lol
Jeff
Original Author
9 years ago
We do have radon, but we had a mitigation system installed a few years ago that sucks air from underneath the basement floor and sends it outside.
I guess I better not go around sniffing old glow in the dark watches then!
Thanks,
Jeff