Cold Air Return Basement Humidity

There is no cold air return. By cutting a hole in the return. Without return air ducting as in your basement much of this cool air may not be drawn back to the furnace resulting in stale or damp air in that area of the home.

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What is different in the basement is that most of the ductwork is on the ceiling.

Cold air return basement humidity. The reason for this is because basements tend to be a damp and cold environment due to moisture coming up through the foundation water sources or from high humidity inside of your home. So 20 times 2 2 is 44. This can be caused by blocking vents that do not seem to be working when the ac is on. I m assuming because cold air sinks and the ceiling isn t insulated.

When the humidity level rises above 80 mold and mildew start to grow. Now bring that air into your basement where it s cooled to 65 f. I would like to put at least one cold air return in the basement if recommended. You also may have an air return issue where the air upstairs is not returning to the air conditioner to be recooled and recirculated.

Cut into the cold air return that is on the ceiling and drop a duct down to the floor. The finished section has one large room with 2 heat ac vents and one small room with one heat ac vent all vents in the ceiling. If the conditioned air is escaping the ducting before it reaches the upper rooms it will be cooler lower than upstairs. But wait a minute 68 44 would make the relative humidity level 112 right.

If you leave a cold air return opening on the ceiling it will simply steal all the hot air from the ceiling and return it to the furnace and the cold air on the floor will never move. The basement is no exception to the rule. There are just three sources of moisture. And we know that s impossible.

Essentially that allows the warm air to circulate better. That s a difference of 20 f right. Liquid water from rain or ground water. I m thinking about adding a cold air return near the bottom of the floor and uncovering the vent.

So the relative humidity of the air rises by 44. Likewise with the return air for the heating season we like to have warm air returned to the system so we can re heat it i doubt if you have 2 return vents i d just cover some of the supply vents in the basement until it s comfortable. Interior moisture sources such as humidifiers unvented clothes dryers bathrooms and cooking as well as the moisture in concrete after construction. Even with the vent closed that area of the basement stays pretty cool even in the hottest part of the summer.

Exterior humid air that enters the basement and condenses on cooler surfaces. These rooms are bonus rooms essentially so nobody is living down there. The basement has zero returns for cold air.