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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