Basement HVAC Question

[jeff0514]

Hey everyone. I am finishing my basement and trying to determine whether my HVAC guy installed what is needed.

The basement will have two finished rooms... one large room and one small room, both surrounding the unfinished room that will house the furnace.

He ran two flex pipes for cold air return to the large room. The vent will be just above the floor. There were already two air runs in that room in the ceiling.

He also ran one flex pipe for a cold air return to the smaller room. The vent for that is also just above the floor. He also installed two air runs in that room.

Looks like this meets code in Ankeny. However, I have heard you should actually have two cold air returns for each room... one just above the floor and one just below the ceiling. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks.

 

[TXCyclones]

How small is the small room. One is fine for smaller 10 x 10 type rooms.

 

[jeff0514]

How small is the small room. One is fine for smaller 10 x 10 type rooms.

Yeah, the smaller room is only around 140 SF.

But I've been told or read that you need one 12" from floor and another 12" from ceiling. I live in Ankeny. The city website sort of indicates you need both, but leaves it a little vague. I don't really care what the city requires... I just want what is safe.

 

[jeff0514]

For what its worth, my mechanical room will be somewhat large, as it flows over into an unfinished storage area.

 

[TXCyclones]

Yeah, the smaller room is only around 140 SF.

But I've been told or read that you need one 12" from floor and another 12" from ceiling. I live in Ankeny. The city website sort of indicates you need both, but leaves it a little vague. I don't really care what the city requires... I just want what is safe.

I was in refrigeration and HVAC design for years. One is fine. I'm living in brand new construction of a 4300sq ft house and all but on room only have one return each. Of course, this is Texas, but still pretty standard. Is the return on the opposite side as the discharge?

 

[jeff0514]

It is in the large main room... but its sort of on the side in the smaller L-shaped room. Basically we had to build this smaller room around the furnace since the furnace sits in the middle of the basement.