On Thursday, June 5, 2014 10:19:32 AM UTC-4, Scott Lurndal wrote:
Ed Pawlowski writes:

On Wed, 4 Jun 2014 14:08:38 -0700 (PDT), wrote:



Discovered today with standard AC check that the house we recently purchased has fake cold air returns. Vents are there (high on walls) but at floor level they are sealed shut with wood. Wondering if this has happened to anyone else and if inspection/old owners should have discovered/disclosed information. Essentially, the second floor of our house has no AC. No issue with first floor/basement.

Thanks



You don't make a lot of sense. You say the vents are high on the

wall, yet blocked at the floor. Return vents are never high on the

wall. I have to wonder if you know what you are looking at or just

doing a poor job of explaining.



_Never_ is pretty absolute. I've seen houses that used the wall

cavity as a return ductwork with a vent high on the wall.

They are not only common, but standard in houses that are outfitted
with central AC when built. The houses that don't have them up high are
typically ones that were heating only, eg old houses.




The

base of the cavity had a cutout to the basement which was itself

the return "ductwork" for the furnace. Supply vents were in the

floor, usually under the external wall window openings. Built

in the 70's, midwest.



Sounds like someone plugged the opening at the bottom of the

cavity in the OP's case.

More likely the cavity was never cut, I'd bet. He could check what's
beneath and see if a return duct is there. If so, he could cut out
the opening. And even if it's not, it could still be done, it would
just require some additional duct work.