Do houses actually need cold air returns?

Question

Ok, so my house is old. 1908 is when it was built, 1.75 story with a "Michigan" basement. I've owned it for 5 years and have had a mouse problem almost the entire time. I did tons on diy work on my basement to mouse-proof it and it's worked for the most part. Anyway, my husband saw one crawling up out of a cold air return in my dining room this morning. The basement is directly below my dining room. My question is, can't I hardwood over my cold air return or does it really serve that good of a purpose in ventilating my non-insulated home? (Appx 1200 sq ft)

Answer 1

A cold air return is how the air in your house get back to the furnace to warm it. You cannot take out any cold air returns as you would be chocking down the amount of air returning. You would also change the way your house would be getting heated and some rooms might not get as warm as others. You can go down in the basement and make sure these return air ducts are not broken open. Mice should not be able to get inside of them. If you have opening in the basement just have your husband duct tape them.

Answer 2

when say cold air return is it part of your ac unit ducting if it is you do need it to complete your air conditioning cycle if its just a floor vent for air circulation you can cover it and relocate it

Answer 3

you are fixating on the return and not focusing on your mouse problem ,reassess and refocus

Answer 4

You have named several problems here.

First, YES you need the cold air return.  Without it, air won't circulate properly to heat or cool your house.  They also eliminate stale air that would otherwise be recirculated.

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/hm_heat_co...

You could put that wire screen inside them, you know the kind that has holes that are about 1/4 inch.  Any smaller & you would have to clean them at least monthly.

Second, here is a site that might help with your mouse problem:

http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/pest-c...

Third, you really need to get that place insulated.  I added insulation in my attic last fall.  I got bags of insulation and rented the blower & hose at Home Depot.  I spent about $200 to add several inches.  It has already made a difference in the bills.