Returns that go nowhere

[rskangler]

I have a 3 bedroom colonial built in 1943..( Height of the war,who built my house,women,old men ,real young men..Thats another story) The returns for my forced air system in my 2 baths and one in my kitchen have no duct work behind the grill and just go into the framed wall..All my other grills and registers go into duct work like they should..Anyone know why they would do that? Could they just be to vent the air all the way to the attic? Should I plug them up?Very strange to me..

[retired btc]

Typically returns are not put into bathrooms because of humidity issues as well as possible odors, Kitchens do not require them as well because of odors then too if you burn something on the stove its most likely going to circulate thru the house as well, Is there a reason you want to plug them ?

[rskangler]

Typically returns are not put into bathrooms because of humidity issues as well as possible odors, Kitchens do not require them as well because of odors then too if you burn something on the stove its most likely going to circulate thru the house as well, Is there a reason you want to plug them ?

That makes a lot of sense not wanting humidity and cooking odors to circulate through house..Thought if they were not doing anything why have them..Mine are in bad spots too..Thanks for a great reply..Stay safe..

[pecmsg]

If Balloon Frame construction there using the cavity as a duct. Not a good idea!

[rskangler]

If Balloon Frame construction there using the cavity as a duct. Not a good idea!

I dont think my house is balloon const. but still not a good I idea I think...I am going to seal those 3 off..Thanks for your reply..

[ga-hvac-tech]

I wonder... if the cavity is for MUA (make up air)... supplied from either the attic or basement... so the bath fan or kitchen fan can exhaust and the air is replaced...

Back when... there were different expectations and engineering ideas...
And they knew some things we seem to have forgotten...

[rskangler]

I wonder... if the cavity is for MUA (make up air)... supplied from either the attic or basement... so the bath fan or kitchen fan can exhaust and the air is replaced...

Back when... there were different expectations and engineering ideas...
And they knew some things we seem to have forgotten...

Never heard of MUA..I am a carpenter not an HVAC Tech so thats new to me..Thanks..

[ga-hvac-tech]

Never heard of MUA..I am a carpenter not an HVAC Tech so thats new to me..Thanks..

Yeah, I had not either... until I had been in the business a while...
MUA is the air supply to replenish what is exhausted out...
If a bath vent or kitchen vent or clothes dryer exhausts air... there has to be air to replace it...
Thus 'make up air'... grin

The old guys back when... figured out many ways to solve issues...
And while their solutions were low tech... they worked.

[WAYNE3298]

The returns in my kitchen and bathrooms are exhaust fans (no return). I let the exhaust fans draw make up air from the rest of the house.

[silbchris]

Amazing how they did it back in the day. Some real steel from those folks building while a war was going on

[WAYNE3298]

Not only that silbchris they were turning out ships faster than the enemy could sink them along with other things like fuel and ammo.
What amazes me the most is how fast they were turning out aircraft carriers.

[TechmanTerry]

Not only that silbchris they were turning out ships faster than the enemy could sink them along with other things like fuel and ammo.
What amazes me the most is how fast they were turning out aircraft carriers.

And SUBMARINES. The Sub that I served on (1968-72') was built during WWII

[WAYNE3298]

Tell us some about being on a sub Techman. Maybe start a new thread about it.

[ga-hvac-tech]

Not only that silbchris they were turning out ships faster than the enemy could sink them along with other things like fuel and ammo.
What amazes me the most is how fast they were turning out aircraft carriers.

At one point... a Ford plant in the midwest was turning out a B-17 every hour... every hour...
Boggles the mind what happened back then...

[WAYNE3298]

When I was in Germany GA our barber was a German that was in the army. He told me he was captured and when taken behind the lines he saw new vehicles of all kinds lined up as far as he could see and every one of them full of fuel.
He said he knew then without a doubt they were going to lose. They couldn't get enough fuel to even retreat if they had a vehicle to retreat in.
Don't forget that women did a lot of the factory work.
If my memory is correct they were turning out ships once a week.

[TechmanTerry]

The comradery was tops. There were 26 individual categories that HAD TO BE LEARNED/MASTERED in order to earn your "DOLPHINS", meaning that you were Qualified to serve onboard a Sub. You had to learn one system a week to stay on the recommended learning time line. ACR was one of those systems to be "learned" (Ha!) I was lucky enough to be in the "A" Gang(Auxiliaries) and we were responsible for the ACR.

Being a Diesel/Electric powered BOAT,we pulled into the docks everywhere we went. Civilians loved/liked us immensely. A "hard worker" was appreciated by the Officers/Chiefs and fellow Enlisted men.

I could go on for hours,but I'll stop here. OK one more.

Being in the "A" gang we got involved in LOTS of oddball stuff. While operating in the Mediterranean Sea,while "Snorkeling" a rust hole blew out and stated to flood(talk about floodback) the diesel engines. We had to "EMERGENCY SURFACE" to repair the leak. It was the "A" gangs job/responsibility and I was the helper/gofer.WE had to crawl under the Clamshell(deck) for 50-80' to make the repair. After the patch was made and pressure tested by diving to a few hundred feet, the Captain "ordered" the REAL Tech and the REAL Gofer(me) and the Corpsman to the Captains Quarters to be administered a shot of "Medicinal" Brandy.Now THAT WAS AN HONOUR!!! And I was all of 20 years of age, And a shot of booze simply by just doing my Job!!!!!!!!!!

[WAYNE3298]

Thanks Techman!!! If you start a thread I will read every word. Sounds like you had a first rate captain.

[Poodle Head Mikey]

That is a brilliant idea. I wonder if that Was the concept in this case.

PHM
--------

I wonder... if the cavity is for MUA (make up air)... supplied from either the attic or basement... so the bath fan or kitchen fan can exhaust and the air is replaced...

Back when... there were different expectations and engineering ideas...
And they knew some things we seem to have forgotten...

[Poodle Head Mikey]

Before and during much of the war Germans worked only the day shift. At five o'clock the factories closed and everybody went home. Weekends - no Germans worked. And the women were all supposed to be home raising good German children. It's weird to picture that in America - Everybody went to work, worked all three shifts, and production was non-stop. And soon incredibly streamlined.

PHM
--------

When I was in Germany GA our barber was a German that was in the army. He told me he was captured and when taken behind the lines he saw new vehicles of all kinds lined up as far as he could see and every one of them full of fuel.
He said he knew then without a doubt they were going to lose. They couldn't get enough fuel to even retreat if they had a vehicle to retreat in.
Don't forget that women did a lot of the factory work.
If my memory is correct they were turning out ships once a week.