Supply Vents In The Floor Or Ceiling?

flashheatingand

Just a question about duct design, and what others think.
Personally, (in general) I think it's better to install the equipment in the attic. And run the supplies in the ceiling. My reasoning is:

• frequently floor vents get covered with furniture
• floor supply ducts seem to get quite dirty over time
• One can locate the furnace somewhat in the center of the house to get more even air flow.

On the other hand, attics do get quite hot during the summer, and that has to affect the cooling somewhat. Also, heat rises. But it isn't like the heat penetrates through the sheet-rock. OK, now I am rambling, sorry. I was interested in hearing what others had to say about how they try to lay out the duct-work.

neolitic

You must be in the south.
From the long term outlook, the attic is
the worst place.
It's outside the envelope, access is problematic,
ceiling joist aren't necessarily designed to be
load bearing, noise transmission is at it's worst
through the ceiling, service is more difficult,
HO's are least likely to change filters in the attic,
and condensate leaks go...where?
High registers are good for cooling,
but make for cold drafts at floor level
in the northland winters.
Other than all that locating the plant
in the attic is a great idea.

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genecarp

depends what you are delivering through the duct work, reno or new construction, house design, climate etc.... in general our new construction which moves both heat and cooling through the ductwork, 2nd floor from attic in cielings, 1st floor from basement in floor.

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flashheatingand

As a carpenter, wouldn't you be worried if the truss system couldn't support the weight of the furnace & coil? The whole setup weighs about 150lbs at the most, and we tie spread the weight on about 3-5 trusses. I don't know, ideally the furnace would be installed in the center of the house. That leaves either the crawl space, the attic, or a closet. I don't like to install the furnace in the closet because that takes up valuable storage space for the homeowner. Also, they can be noisy there. Crawl spaces are ok. I hear you about the drafty situation, but homes can get drafty when supply vents are covered by sofas, beds, and other furniture. As for the condensate thing, well we install drain pans, drain lines, and a float switch to prevent damaging the ceiling. I don't know, you have to install the appliance so that one can service it, that is part of the code requirements. If all is done right, there should be little to worry about.

I don't intend to sound argumentive or defensive. I wanted to hear other opinions, and appreciate what you say. In order to limit potential problems, one needs to listen to what others have to say and address those issues. Once again, thanks for your reply

neolitic

Here, we have basements.
When we don't the second choice
is usually in a utility room along with
the W/H, washer/dryer.
Last choice would be the attached
garage (which then would be
insulated and drywalled of course).

Glad to meet someone else who
doesn't require everyone to agree
with every word they say.

Where are you?
Seems like attic furnaces were a southern
invention.

















h

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threaderman

My ducts are in/under the slab and I don't like it.From what I understand ,if there is a break in the line at a joint from settling,there is no repair for it.And when it does go,it will start shooting dirt all over.Oklahoma is the only place I remember seeing this.A customer of mine had his system changed to a up-flow, after only 25 years his ducts failed somewhere,and that set him back 14,000.The home is only 3,500 sq or so.I dread the day,if and when.

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montanajim

preferrebly you should locate heat runs in the floor, attic systems can be very inefficent if not properly insulated as attick temperatures can be extreme(hot and cold depending on your climate). heat will penetrate the sheetrock and to prove this if you have a infrared thermometer take several readings off the floor walls and ceiling, on a hot summer day you can expect the ceiling to be quite higher if you only have conventional insulation. Locating your equipment in the center of the house is a great idea if it is feasable. my advice to you is get some duct design and load calculation manuals. these will awnser alot of your questions.

Gatorate

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flashheatingand

I agree that taking load and duct calcs should be performed. But it wont take into consideration where Aunt Gerties chifferobe is going to be placed.