Best way to get air movement in older homes with central air
infohungry| Posted inGeneral Questionson
My home is over 100 years old, it has central air. First level is very cool second and third level are just the opposite. Each level has cool air returns, but not if the right size or amount for levels.
Another question can one air return work for two bedroom if in the same wall.
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Info,
There are ways to tweak the duct systems of multi-story homes to reduce the problem you describe, but the happiest homeowners seem to be those who have separate systems for each floor. One way to accomplish this is with ductless minisplits.
For more information on this issue, seeKeeping Cool in a Two-Story House.
Q. "Can one air return work for two bedrooms if in the same wall?"
A. A return air duct from a bedroom to the air handler requires (a) a grille (which may be wall-mounted, floor-mounted, or ceiling-mounted), and (b) a duct that leads from the grille to the return-air plenum of the air handler.
If the duct you are talking about is large enough, it can serve two bedrooms. Ideally, the set-up would include a wall-mounted grille in each of the two bedrooms, and these grilles would be connected to the properly sized duct.
For more information on this issue, seeReturn-Air Problems.