AVS › AVS Forum › Home Entertainment & Theater Builder › Dedicated Theater Design & Construction › Home Theater A/C vents question
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Home Theater A/C vents question

post #1 of 23
6/11/09 at 10:32pm
Thread Starter 
Hi,
I'm building the new home with dedicated home theater room. That room will have two AC vents. Where should I put them?
Thanks so much in advance!
-Mike
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 23
6/12/09 at 4:28am
"Vents"? In the world of HVAC you have supplies and returns. I presume you have two supplies. You're going to need returns in the room as well. You cannot pump cool air into a room without taking air out of the room.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 23
6/12/09 at 7:18am
Thread Starter 
I have returns right outside of the room already. It is brand new custom home so I just want to make sure we put the vents where they will not affect the projector.
Thanks,
-Mike

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis Erskine View Post

"Vents"? In the world of HVAC you have supplies and returns. I presume you have two supplies. You're going to need returns in the room as well. You cannot pump cool air into a room without taking air out of the room.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 23
6/12/09 at 12:19pm
Your two supplies won't push much air into your HT with the door closed. If this is still under construction you may want to think about getting a return ran into your space.

Sorry that doesn't answer your question, but it's still something you should think about.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 23
6/12/09 at 2:16pm
I prefer cool air hitting me in the face rather than the back of the neck, put the supplies up front and the return at the back. The projector will give off a lot of heat so a return in that area makes some sense.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 23
6/12/09 at 7:03pm
You need to get a return in the room, unless you want to watch movies with the door open. If you care at all about sound isolation, that return should be a straight run back to the HVAC, not shared through the wall with another return close to the HT.

If you leave the door closed, it's going to get hot. 3-4 people, a projector, blu-ray player, etc. put off quite a bit of heat.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 23
6/12/09 at 7:26pm
This is the approach I took with my room. Two large supplies up front about a foot from the screen and a large return near the projector. Large so air can flow without making any noise.

Dennis, Big, and other have been giving sound advice here for years, 'nuf said!


Reply
Reply
post #8 of 23
6/12/09 at 7:49pm
What is more important, heating or cooling? The duct layout can be optimized a little depending on which one is going to get used more.

-Suntan
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 23
6/12/09 at 8:35pm
Hmm...how much does a "return" cost? Ballpark.

I'm doing my living room into a home theater. It has a single AC vent. Never been a problem I guess because it has a large opening to the room. But for movies I'll be pulling a curtain across that opening for light control. So I don't know if that constitutes a serious block to the air or not. (Haven't tried it yet). The room is 15' by 13.'

Opinions? Thanks.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 23
6/13/09 at 4:01am
In Adak, in the winter, in a sound isolated room, cooling is more important.

www.welcometoalaska.com/Communities/adak.htm
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 23
6/13/09 at 12:01pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks y'all!!!
I am worrying about the air flow affecting picture quality when putting them on both side of the screen which I originally did ...
It is kinda vaulted ceiling so I don't think an air return would fit in there but I will rethink about it and get an air return in there for sure ...
:cheers:
-Mike
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 23
6/13/09 at 4:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikec5vert View Post

Thanks y'all!!!
I am worrying about the air flow affecting picture quality when putting them on both side of the screen which I originally did ...
It is kinda vaulted ceiling so I don't think an air return would fit in there but I will rethink about it and get an air return in there for sure ...
:cheers:
-Mike

Why would your air flow affect picture quality?
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 23
6/13/09 at 4:37pm
You dont need a true return. You can do what alot of builders are doing wich is to have drop that is nothing more than a duct going from in the Theater room to another drop that is outside the room. All you are trying to accomplish is preventing a pressure that prevents air from entering the room.
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 23
6/13/09 at 10:10pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by R Harkness View Post

Why would your air flow affect picture quality?

Well, I thought wind may affect the lighting but just remember the speed of light is super fast so there is nothing would affect

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob K View Post

You dont need a true return. You can do what alot of builders are doing wich is to have drop that is nothing more than a duct going from in the Theater room to another drop that is outside the room. All you are trying to accomplish is preventing a pressure that prevents air from entering the room.

I will talk to my A/C guy Monday to see if he got your idea. If he gives me problem, I will change from vaulted ceiling to cake box. For now, the room is got 10ft ceiling and the vaulted to maybe 14ft or 15ft. I think I will just do 11.5 ft cake box.
Thanks so much y'all for the great idea of a return somewhere near the projector to get all the heat out. In my previous 2 theaters from a regular room w/o return, it was so hot there.
-Mike
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 23
6/13/09 at 11:49pm
Sorry to tack on a n00b question in here...
The HVAC system in the apartment I am in right now has a return in walk in closet, and many supplies throughout apartment... Closet door is always closed and system works fine...
Am I missing something, or is the return feed being in a room like that really that big of a deal?
Matt
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 23
6/14/09 at 6:22am
If that is the only return you should leave the door open. If there are others the effective size of the return in the closet is the size of the gap under the door. If that is small you should leave the door open.
Reply
Reply
post #17 of 23
6/14/09 at 7:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC View Post

If that is the only return you should leave the door open. If there are others the effective size of the return in the closet is the size of the gap under the door. If that is small you should leave the door open.

Or get a louvred door.
Reply
Reply
post #18 of 23
6/14/09 at 3:48pm
Thread Starter 
Hi,
I already had 2 return for that unit (I got 2 units for my house). There is one right outside in front of the theater room doors.
I'll ask if he can add 1 more in the theater room.
Thanks,
-Mike
Reply
Reply
post #19 of 23
6/15/09 at 7:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis Erskine View Post

In Adak, in the winter, in a sound isolated room, cooling is more important.

www.welcometoalaska.com/Communities/adak.htm

That's great, I'll remember that if I ever buy a house in Adak...

-Suntan
Reply
Reply
post #20 of 23
6/16/09 at 5:38am
Same holds true for Whitehorse, Fairbanks and Nome. Good time for house hunting. Deals can be had.
Reply
Reply
post #21 of 23
6/16/09 at 6:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mapitc0 View Post

Or get a louvred door.

Exactly.

If that is a solid door and your return is in a closet...then you're having the system work very hard to pull in air greatly decreasing your efficiency and likely system life.
Reply
Reply
post #22 of 23
6/16/09 at 6:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikec5vert View Post

Well, I thought wind may affect the lighting but just remember the speed of light is super fast so there is nothing would affect


I will talk to my A/C guy Monday to see if he got your idea. If he gives me problem, I will change from vaulted ceiling to cake box. For now, the room is got 10ft ceiling and the vaulted to maybe 14ft or 15ft. I think I will just do 11.5 ft cake box.
Thanks so much y'all for the great idea of a return somewhere near the projector to get all the heat out. In my previous 2 theaters from a regular room w/o return, it was so hot there.
-Mike


No you're right. Two supplies in the path of the projected image could show up as dust floating in the air at times.

Code requirements (at least where i live) require the supplies to be where the greatest heat loss or gain is expected. That would be a window and/or outside walls.

You want the return opposite the supplies so the air is drawn throughout the room.

I'd say, put one close to the window and another on the opposite side for a symmetrical look. The return could be (and is usually) on an interior wall space to draw the supplied air towards the centre of the home/room.
Reply
Reply
post #23 of 23
6/16/09 at 8:07am
Thread Starter 
Yesterday I did stop by the A/C shop and we came to the final solution. It is not the best but not bad either. I told him I got equipment closet (the 3x2 closet in the picture) which is 10ft tall but I only use up to 7ft so I want the return on top of that.
The A/C vents gotta be in front of that return and flow air away from it. Return should always be behind of the vents.
Remember, this room got vaulted ceiling so not many places got enough room for A/C vents or return .
Thanks,
-Mike
***BTW, my next thing will be moving the sub location to be under the equipment cabinet since currently it is in the same wall with kitchen so I don't want all the dishes fell off the shelves when watching movies :-) Now need to find the way to not vibrate the DVD player in there
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Home Entertainment & Theater Builder › Dedicated Theater Design & Construction › Home Theater A/C vents question