Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83 based; site homxa.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!mhuxn!houxm!homxa!rry From: rry@homxa.UUCP (R.YADAVALLI) Newsgroups: net.misc Subject: A home heating question Message-ID: <520@homxa.UUCP> Date: Wed, 5-Dec-84 14:22:12 EST Article-I.D.: homxa.520 Posted: Wed Dec 5 14:22:12 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 6-Dec-84 05:22:00 EST Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ Lines: 41 I am posting this article here as I could not find a more appropriate newsgroup. My apologies if it doesn't belong here. I am surprised that there is no news group net.home. Wonder if there would be sufficient interest to form a newsgroup. Anyway, back to the where I started... I am looking for helpful information on reducing the noise caused by the cold air return of our furnace. We have a split level house with a very small basement under the family room. The basement is approximately 12'X14'. Because there is not enough room in the basement for the cold air returns to be scattered around the house, there is a big (about 3'X2') opening in the foyer area which is connected to the cold air intake of the furnace. The furnace is only a two years old and quite energy efficient. Now, the problem. Every time the furnace goes on and the fan starts, the airflow is so noisy that it is hard to do things like watching TV or listening to music in the living area of the house. In fact, the noise is so loud that it can be heard on the second floor of the house. Of course, the house being a split-level doesn't help in blocking the sound from reaching the second floor from the first. It appears as though the single opening for the cold air return is not large enough. But, there is not much room anywhere else in the basement to provide additional returns. One alternative suggested by a friend is to make an opening in the basement wall that leads to the outside of the house thereby bringing in fresh air which is quite desirable. But, the amount of extra heating necessary to heat the cold air from outside to the room temperature makes me wonder how efficient this would be. His contention was that there is more Oxygen in the fresh air than in the recirculated air. Does anyone have similar experience or expertise on this topic? I would appreciate any suggestions and infromation such as books on the subject. Please mail the responses to me if you feel there would not be a netwide interest on this topic. Thanks in advance. Raghu Yadavalli AT&T Bell Laboratories Holmdel, NJ