Electric Forced Air Furnace

[thance]

Why would air be coming out of the cool air return in an electric forced air furnace? Thanks.

[Bruce A. King]

Are you finding this with the system on or off?

If it has air coming out the return when running then the fan is running backwards or has the wrong type squirrel cage atached.

If it has air coming out when off then you have a duct leak.

[David A. Andersen]

fan is running backwards

Squirrel Cage Blowers can pump backwards?

[thance]

System is turned on, and cool air is coming out of the return. It feels like a fan.

[Bruce A. King]

Originally Posted by dandersen

Squirrel Cage Blowers can pump backwards?

Not anywhere near full flow but enough where you could feel some air movement.

[Greg Veal]

Probably either squirrel cage has been replaced and installed backwards and/or motor is running backwards and/or squrriel cage is original and blades are missing and/or free-wheeling allowing the cavitation of air, giving the effect on reduced airflow and/or moderate flow back through the return system. I've seen all of the above , in seperate situations, but all are possible and probably other conditions I/ve never seen or heard about. A Pro HVAC Tech. should be able to figure it out though.

[David A. Andersen]

Squirrel cage blowers running backwards still blow in the right direction, just not enough.

There is not enough information to determine anything from here.

I still say there is something detached in there.

[Richard L. Bennett]

First is it a squirrel cage?

Is there more than one source of "return air"

More information is needed

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Here is a real simple answer

If the fan is close to the return air and is trying to move more air than the system will handle some air will be forced out a close by return as an eddy current

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In short more information needed - This might be normal for this system

rlb

[Charley L. Bottger]

You guys are whizzing against the wind here, to many variables could be any of a dozen reasons the unit needs more than just a visual look from the exterior.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by cbottger

You guys are whizzing against the wind here, to many variables could be any of a dozen reasons the unit needs more than just a visual look from the exterior.

Wha' is dis "whizzin' "? Is da win' da same stuff comin' out da hole in da floor?

[Charley L. Bottger]

Originally Posted by Brian A. MacNeish

Wha' is dis "whizzin' "? Is da win' da same stuff comin' out da hole in da floor?

Naw same as shoveling SHi! against the tide
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[Marc D. Shunk]

Originally Posted by thance

System is turned on, and cool air is coming out of the return. It feels like a fan.

Could be a number of things. Bypass humidifier problem. Barometric intake damper problem. Air to air heat exchanger problem. Too much to guess.

[Charley L. Bottger]

Originally Posted by Marc D. Shunk

Could be a number of things. Bypass humidifier problem. Barometric intake damper problem. Air to air heat exchanger problem. Too much to guess.

Electric furnace hard to have those problems???????

[Marc D. Shunk]

Originally Posted by cbottger

Electric furnace hard to have those problems???????

No, not at all. These can be installed on any furnace to help with exchanging stale building air for fresh outdoor air. Not necessarily for combustion air, which an electric furnace obviously does not need. It's pretty normal for a heat pump AHU, for instance, to have an air-to-air heat exchanger just for enhanced indoor air quality. Of course the forerunner to the air-to-air heat exchanger was the barometric intake piped into the return. On commercial work, this can just be a motorized damper to the outdoors into the return (non-barometric) with a "percent fresh air" dial on the wall in a closet someplace. The resi one's were normally just weighted barometric dampers.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by Marc D. Shunk

No, not at all. These can be installed on any furnace to help with exchanging stale building air for fresh outdoor air. Not necessarily for combustion air, which an electric furnace obviously does not need. It's pretty normal for a heat pump AHU, for instance, to have an air-to-air heat exchanger just for enhanced indoor air quality. Of course the forerunner to the air-to-air heat exchanger was the barometric intake piped into the return. On commercial work, this can just be a motorized damper to the outdoors into the return (non-barometric) with a "percent fresh air" dial on the wall in a closet someplace. The resi one's were normally just weighted barometric dampers.

Are the HRV's getting pretty common in your area now?