Help..return air exchange question.

[Echo tech]

I am building a new home and it has Geo Thermal. Question for all you experts is... They put all the return air vents near the floor. My contractor says it's ok my consultant says no it needs to be near the ceiling. Somebody please help me with this. I am woman and this is not my area of expertise. Thanks in advance. Also, it is a ranch with a basement. :gah:

[pushpipe]

depends on what region of the country you live in. If you have a higher cooling load than heating it would be prefferable to have them higher and vice versa. but it isn't wrong to have them high or low more important that they have enough returns

[jeremyjp]

I'd say if supply vents are in the floor(by windows), baseboard returns are ok. Or... if in the ceiling, one in each corner of room(return-supply) is nice.

[Tempted]

As long as your supplies and returns are not next to each other they are most likely fine. Live in the house for a while and contact the installing company if you are having comfort issues. On average we as contractors warranty our systems for at least 1 year and sometimes need to make system ajustments after the homeowner has moved in.

[jbooker56]

If you think basics, hot air rises so if you are heating a large part of the year a return at floor level will pull hot air through a room, assuming floor registers at outside walls and returns on inside walls. If hot airs are from the ceiling floor level returns work well for heat and as with the first arrangement not as well for cooling.

[skeller]

If your vents are in the floor on the outside wall, install return air on the inside wall roughly across from supply. You want the air exchage to pull up and across your room.

[mseng]

Make sure the returns are sized correctly that is most important, and then you will have greater efficiency and comfort.