Viper98912
Well-known member
Hello GJ'ers! 
I'm currently crafting some plans to build a basic rec room in the basement. My home is a new build with 2 stories above ground and the basement below. The HVAC unit is placed in the basement, as well as all the main piping running left/right and then up the floor and walls of the house.
The basement is already plumbed with three air vents in the ceilings (between the beams). I mostly keep these closed since I'm not down there often (yet).
I plan on building a small rec room where one of the air vents is, so that covers air coming in. I plan on using one of the wall cavities between the studs (16") as the air return for the system to feed back into the open basement. I do not want to plumb directly into the return piping since it's only a foot away and would probably significantly disrupt the balance of the house.
I live in a northern climate, and in the main levels of the home all of the returns are placed high on the walls in the rooms (I assume this is to pull the hot air out and push cold air in). All of the air vents are placed in the floor.
So, inside of the new rec room, should I place the return grille near the floor, and on the basement side up high? Or reverse it, and put the return grille up high and the basement side down low? The reason I ask is because this is the basement and I'm guessing that it's going to traditionally be colder down there, so I would assume down low on the inside is better. Plus, the air vent is in the ceiling (on the other end of the room). Then again, this is opposite of what's upstairs.
Thanks for the help guys
I'm currently crafting some plans to build a basic rec room in the basement. My home is a new build with 2 stories above ground and the basement below. The HVAC unit is placed in the basement, as well as all the main piping running left/right and then up the floor and walls of the house.
The basement is already plumbed with three air vents in the ceilings (between the beams). I mostly keep these closed since I'm not down there often (yet).
I plan on building a small rec room where one of the air vents is, so that covers air coming in. I plan on using one of the wall cavities between the studs (16") as the air return for the system to feed back into the open basement. I do not want to plumb directly into the return piping since it's only a foot away and would probably significantly disrupt the balance of the house.
I live in a northern climate, and in the main levels of the home all of the returns are placed high on the walls in the rooms (I assume this is to pull the hot air out and push cold air in). All of the air vents are placed in the floor.
So, inside of the new rec room, should I place the return grille near the floor, and on the basement side up high? Or reverse it, and put the return grille up high and the basement side down low? The reason I ask is because this is the basement and I'm guessing that it's going to traditionally be colder down there, so I would assume down low on the inside is better. Plus, the air vent is in the ceiling (on the other end of the room). Then again, this is opposite of what's upstairs.
Thanks for the help guys