[DenverTom]

Hello -

We have a 2 story 1300 sq ft condo, built 4 years ago. Ever since we moved in, we've noticed a lot of dust buildup and a very loud return on our down-blowing furnace that requires us to turn up the TV every time it turns on. I recently removed the vents to take a look and was completely surprised at what I found!

There are only 2 returns in the whole house. One at the top of the stairs and one in the living room. Both seem to be abnormally placed:

The downstairs return is essentially placed behind the wall and fireplace. The builder told me that "it is still pulling enough air this way and that there is no need to move them." However, this return will not hold a piece of paper against it when the furnace is running. I'm thinking about moving them despite what the builder says... is this a bad idea?

The upstairs return is where all the sound comes from. When I removed the vent cover, I was shocked to see the actual return duct about 1 ft up and 2 ft back from the wall. Thus, I concluded that most of the return air is actually being pulled from within the big hollow wall and not the actual air in our house. It appears to me that the builder got lazy and didn't want to build out the ductwork to the wall because there are 2 2x4s in its path. My question is, if I build out some custom duct work and line it with duct lining, will this help quiet down the draft noise and help with our dust problems? Would you build it out to fit the hole in the wall or just use a combination of "tubes" (say 3 or 4) that would feed into the main duct as they did in our living room return?

Lastly, if I were to add return ducts in our 2 bedrooms by placing the vents in the ceiling, will that also help with the noise and dust?

I've attached some pictures that help a lot more than words. I'd love some feedback!

Cheers,
Tom

[KC13]

Great pics of... questionable craftsmanship. Dust control is the responsibility of the air filtration. Perhaps your current arrangement isn't effective enough. Lining the returns may decrease the dust somewhat, but I doubt it will improve the noise issue. Is the comfort level of your home satisfactory? Adding and/or moving returns will have an impact - some areas may improve while others suffer. Do any of your condo neighbors have similar complaints? If so, what (if any) action have they taken to address this, and was it effective? Your options will likely be limited without some moderate demolition.

[acetc]

It is very possible that you are pulling attic air and hence the dust and inefficient system, you should have an air tight connection from the duct to the grill or register, the grill opening looks very large compared to the size of the duct opening. My suggestion is to call in another HVAC contractor for a second opinion.
Your pictures and craftsmanship should not be used in the same sentence, crap would be more precise, good luck to you.

[tk03]

It is not uncommon for a return air system not be ducted. Many system will use what the call panning a floor joist or wall space for return air. All the supplies should have ducts all the way.
Use better air filters.
Noisy returns means a lack of return air. Try to remove the blower door while the blower is on and see if the door is hard to pull off. Check the difference in air noise and air flow with the door propped open slightly.
Check the temperature rise through the furnace when running for heat. Take the temperature between the return and supply duct systems.

[KISS]

That return looks grossly undersized. Also have the static pressure measured.

Is this how they build houses these days?

You've been had.

[DenverTom]

ACETC, you just made a HUGE connection that I completely overlooked. I've tried every type of filter on the market and nothing seems to help. After reading your post, I took a peak into the attic t and the "gray soot" that seems to coat everything in our house is definitely coming from the loose-fill insulation from the attic. Urrrggg..

Thanks for all of your advice, I really appreciate it!

Also, I did remove the door when the blower was on and it was very hard to remove. Seems like its air-starving a bit.

[KISS]

The air starving will prematurely KILL your furnace.

Temp rise is one problem and static pressure is the other. Static pressure makes the blower work harder. SP should not be over 1" W.C.

[tk03]

As stated by KeepItSimpleStupid check or have checked the static. Here is a link on how to do that. You will need to borrow a manometer.
Checking Static Pressure on a Duct System