Idea to make house more equal/efficient.

ROUGH layout of my house: http://i.imgur.com/JoMaP4N.jpg

2000 square feet, using a 3.5 ton unit. 24x14 original return in the hallway, which is fed by most of the house

24x15 new return in the master bedroom, which is fed ONLY by the master bedroom. (Adding this return made the entire system significantly more efficient, likely due to the fact a 24x14 with 12" on a 3.5 ton is pretty much... ick.)

In the summer, the master bedroom gets cooler than the rest of the house (As was the intention when the second return was added, and an additional supply.)

HOWEVER. In the winter, the master bedroom never really gets warm. (especially with the door closed.)

The MBR also has negative pressure, making it hard to close the door.

I can not upgrade the 24x14 return in the hallway, due to structural limitations.

My theory is this:

If I punch through the living room wall into the master bathroom, with even a 12x12 grill on each side, then the master bedroom return will pull from the living room. This will equalize the air in the master bedroom, and take some of the workload off the 24x14 return in the hallway.

My concern here is, of course, noise.

The ceiling is vaulted and insulated in a way that makes it more or less inaccessible, otherwise I'd run the pass-thru in the ceiling with some insulated duct to reduce sound.

In this case, it has to go on the wall, wall to wall.

Do you think this change will help efficiency/evenness of the house? Additional- Any idea how I would mitigate noise pass-through from living room to master?

submitted by /u/2meterB
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