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billybob69
Apr 15, 2015, 01:12 PM
Below are pics of my central air system pipes. The first pic shows where the air returns from the house. The second shows the part where it goes to the second floor. The third shows how an extra vent was added to the living room.

OK I bought this home years ago and am used to the air barely going upstairs but would like some advise to see if I can fix this myself. It seems as in the second pic that the previous owner added a vent direct to the living room cause he was not getting air from the ceiling vents. OK the ceiling vents came from the second floor pipes. The second pic shows a big pipe going all the way to the crawl space in the attic to a long pipe that had smaller pipes going into a bathroom and 2 bedrooms. It also ran back down to the living room ceiling. Now I think since not much air is going up they added that extra vent but I have a feeling that I either need to close it back off and install it to the right of the big elbow and maybe more air will come up. I was thinking maybe its possible to make that elbow straight and I might get more air upstairs.

Can someone give me advise as to whether anything I said would help in this situation. Any help is appreciated. Also any questions I'll answer to the best of my knowledge.


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bitters
Apr 15, 2015, 01:16 PM
Try closing the ceiling vents.

billybob69
Apr 15, 2015, 01:22 PM
I actually disconnected them. Sealed the hole. I guess I'll try by removing the elbow and having a straight pipe added at the end. See what that does lol.

bitters
Apr 15, 2015, 01:26 PM
How many return air vent's do you have?

billybob69
Apr 15, 2015, 01:32 PM
The first floor has a vent in each room so the living, kitchen 1 bedroom and the bathroom. Upstairs has 1 big one in the hallway outside the bath and 2 bedrooms lol.

bitters
Apr 15, 2015, 02:00 PM
Sounds like you have plenty of return air. Are you getting good air flow any where? Are your filter's clean?

billybob69
Apr 15, 2015, 02:22 PM
Clean filter. Air is good on the first floor and the second floor gets some air not bad but I'm sure I can get more. Master bedroom gets the best air and lighter in the other 2 rooms. I had nothing for a few years till someone told me there was a damper up there and charged be 4 arms and 12 legs to change it. Got what I have after that.

If I cut back that section after the elbow and bring the added duct as in the 2nd pic do you think that might help? I feel like the air is continuing going to the added vent and maybe its weakening the flow. Not an expert but just looks like that might be an issue. Is that normal to do?