Hello everyone. I am a first time homeowner and bought a newer condo (built in 2005) which has 2 floors. All three bedrooms are on the 2nd floor and all 3 bedrooms have vents in the floors where the AC/heat comes from. There are 2 large return vents in the hallway between the rooms, one mid-staircase to get air from downstairs and one in the hallway upstairs, but there are no return vents in the rooms individually. I do have an attic.

My first question is can you splice into the existing return air vents tubing and then connect new vents from the 2 larger bedrooms into that hose? Secondly I'd like to know roughly what the expected cost might be to do something like that? It would involve of course cutting a new vent hole and running the hose then connecting it. I'm not terribly well off but I know this is a wise investment as 2 rooms of mine face the west and get VERY hot in the summer. I also don't want to have a professional service walk in and take me for a ride checkbook-wise. I look forward to hearing the response I get from this and thank you in advance for helping! :)


Kat
Indianapolis, IN

Staatistics have shown the air return offers better circulation to the peripheral rooms.

A call to the code inspector would reveal if the builder is responsible for this feature or if the code change came after the build start date: I'd call.

Either way, if the builder isn't obligated, you would still be wise to have returns installed. System efficiency and room comfort both would excel : I'd have them installed, if I just couldn't do it myself!

Good luck!

.

You said hoses, so I assume you have flex duct. If the return air duct is in the attic then you could diffinetly tie into it and install ducts to your bedrooms. The correct way to do it is to cut into the duct install a T-Y (this would be the same size as old duct and size of proposed duct) from this T-Y you would connect the new duct to a second T-Y that would go to the ducts to the two bedrooms ,then connect these ducts to the new ceiling cans.
I can't comment on price because I don't know the local labor rates, size and length of duct and the difficulty factor of your installation.
Normally the contractor just cuts the bottom of the door off 1" , I suggest you call around and get bids, these are usually free, hope this is helpful. Mike