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Does it matter which return air exchange a thermostat is loacted?

1K views 3 replies 2 participants last post by  biggles 
#1 ·
Hello,

Does it matter which return air exchange a thermostat is located near? Here is the rest of the story...

I have an AC unit that is dedicated to the upstairs portion of my home and four bedrooms. My eventual plan is to install motorized dampers (controlled via a zone controller) in each of the bedrooms, but for now I have accomplished this task by manually closing the vents in three of these rooms. The main thermostat was originally located in the hallway and next to a large return air exchange, but with the heat of the summer, I have temporarily relocated it next to a smaller return air exchange in the master bedroom. My plan is working and just the portion of the upstairs that I need cooled is being being done. However, there is a 10-15 degree difference between the area around each of the return air exchanges.

Is this hard (or "confusing", for the lack of wording) on my AC unit?


Thanks,
Dr. Z.
 
#2 ·
if your going to damper the supply air down when the room hits setoints that will back up into the supply.then it will look for the nearest register to relieve that pressure and blast.might consider returns for each dampered room...that is why the stats are always eye level over returns.home owners don't realize they are setting the stat temps for the return air not the discharge of the unit....but keep in mind as you shut the supply dampers your starving the return actual temp'd air back...just throwing it out there for you to digest...info:wink:
 
#3 ·
"Keep in mind as you shut the supply dampers your starving the return actual temp'd air back...just throwing it out there for you to digest."


Thanks for the reply. Yup, I need to study up on AC basics. In the meantime...

The main return air exchange is a 20x25 inch opening and the other is 14x14 inches, where the temporarily located thermostat is. Would it be worth it to cover up the main return air exchange and force intake/output just in the one room I want? Of course, temporary (a few weeks) is the main word here.

As for installing return air exchanges in all of the bedroom, yup, I love to bust holes in drywall and can do that. My attic has allot of space and will make it relatively easy to connect all the return air exchanges. In fact, what do you think about closing up the main return air exchange and installing 14x14 inch openings in the remaining bedrooms (ending up with all four rooms with this size).

Wow, I guess that I am really walking all over the original professionally designed duct system, with just enough knowledge to screw it all up!


Thanks,
Dr. Z.
 
#4 ·
stat setting depends on return air is the remember :wink: and if you do a supply/return per room and block the hall how does the stat read the moving air and the hall will bake.when an AC runs you want as many air changes across the evap in air handler as possible to pull the humidity out and drop the temp from each room.you want to block add change the deisn air as installed remeber heating season also if your in a winter situation is the air handler up in that attic just getting a return per room might be better then doing a damper situation
 
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