Originally Posted By Serenity_Now
If I understand, there was never a return air HVAC line from the room? Just a supply?

Our code states an exhaust fan 300cfm or greater requires a make up air system. Not sure about a supply though being that high. Either way you are under 300.

You could have used the blower as an exhaust out of the room at the rear and had a motorized damper interlocked so it opens when the fan comes on to let outside air in. This is how parkades are exhausted. Then run the fan off a close on rise thermostat. (A/C t-stat) This way your HT will heat the rest of the basement and you dont have to open any drywall outside the room. You can still do this, just put another blower in the rear of the room and have them run off the same thermostat in parallel. Is there space above your equipment rack to hide it all?

Man, it sucks you have to revisit this in a finished space. But it must be terrible enough to make you do it. Hope it all works out!




Yeah, this is part of the reason that it took me until now to do this. I was afraid to pull the trigger on the tearing into more finished space as well as wanting to get it right (for the price point that I am at).

After going over the plans several times over at AVS, the consensus was exactly what I laid out. "Suck" air in with the blower, and let it force its way out using the existing large fan at the back of the room. Then work on the air return which is actually Phase 3 (which of course means a new fresh air supply that i mention is Phase 2 above). Those 2 phases get me added benefit that will be helpful even if I never did Phase 1. There are zero returns in the basement, and that needs to change. I will be adding a second return after talking to a former HVAC guy at work. That will go in the opposite end of the basement.

So Phase 2 and 3 were happening anyway, Phase 1 was highly recommended as I was told that I would get more cool air in faster by putting the blower near the source and not the exhaust.

I am hoping to skip Phase 4 (powered exhaust to the outside) but we'll see.


Farewell - June 4, 2020