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HVAC Advice

post #1 of 7
1/25/13 at 8:24am
Thread Starter 
I have a home theater room that will be surrounded by 3 concrete walls (the other wall will be next to finished basement) that I am finishing down the road, as I am currently finishing my basement first. I'm reading up on this thread and also purchased Warren Peterson's book so that I am properly educated when the time comes to fully finish my HT room.

I had my HVAC guy come to prep my HVAC for the whole basement. I told him to run flex duct to my HT room, just to prep installation when the room is framed. He prepped for two supply's and will have 1 cold air return. I will have a 2nd zone setup for my HT room from my furnace. I live in Michigan, and my basement tends to stay very cold, especially in this area because it is very low and surrounded by concrete. My HVAC guy assured me this will sufficient, but I'd like the advice on this board to let me know their thoughts ( I trust you guys more).

Another question I had Is it okay to run the flex duct in between my ceiling joists (plan to double drywall w/ green glue and clips) or should I aim to run it along the soffit that I plan to have surrounding my room? I notice that many people run their ductwork along soffits, and I'm struggling to understand why (and couldn't find it after searching threads).

Thanks for the help in advance.
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post #2 of 7
1/25/13 at 8:48am
What are your room dimensions and how many people do you plan to have in there. I assume the room will be tightly sealed for soundproofing? Also, do you plan to have the equipment located in the room, or outside? Are you planning for a hush box to isolate the PJ, or the heat load from that be added to the room as well. What size ducts did your contractor run?

It's generally accepted that a soundproofed theater will need cooling even in very cold climates. The reason is all of the insulation that you will be putting around the room will essentially isolate it from the cooling capacity of the concrete foundation. You could possibly get by with just exchanging the air from an adjacent space, but there are lots of variables that are difficult to account for there.
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post #3 of 7
1/25/13 at 9:10am
Thread Starter 
The room dimensions are 16'10" * 15'5. The room will be tightly sealed for sound proofing. I plan on running insulation along all walls, double staggered-stud drywall on the "basement" divider room w/ whisper clips and brackets. For the concrete walls, I will use suspension brackets and normal 2*4 studs w/ drywall and insulation (is this okay for concrete walls)? Of course, as I learn things and get feedback from others, this may change.

The equipment rack is currently prepped to be inside of the room. At this stage, I could change it, but it might be a hassle. For various reasons, my thought is to keep in the room, although I know many people prefer outside.

I do plan on using a hushbox for the PJ.

The flex duct is 6".

Thanks for the feedback.
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post #4 of 7
1/25/13 at 9:12am
Thread Starter 
I also plan for 6 seats. Although the man cave will usually only sit myself :-)
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post #5 of 7
1/25/13 at 10:58am
The "rule of thumb" is to estimate each person requires about 16 cfm of cooled air. For back of the envelope, you can assume the PJ is another person as well. That puts you at 112 cfm. A 6" flex will provide about 75 cfm, give or take depending on length and number of bends. Here's the chart for reference.



So two 6" ducts will put you at 150 cfm. That should be plenty. Make sure the return is sized appropriately as well.
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post #6 of 7
1/25/13 at 2:24pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks - very helpful. As far as running the duct along a soffit or straight through the joists, any preference?
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post #7 of 7
1/25/13 at 3:44pm
The last time I talked to Ted, he indicated a soffit muffler is preferred to a joist muffler. I redesigned my HVAC layout for that reason. However, I don't want to speak for Ted, so I'd recommend you give them a call and let them go over the specifics with you.
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