Yes higher returns would help some with how the air conditioning works but would do just the opposite in the heating season if the only place they were located were on the ceiling.
Adding air conditioning to existing furnace.
An evaporator coil must be added to the furnace.
When added to an existing forced air heating system central air for a 2 000 square foot home costs 3 500 to 4 000 and can be done by two technicians in two to three days often with little or no change to the ducting.
Install an evaporator coil on the furnace supply transition to existing ductwork.
To implement the addition of ceiling returns for your central air conditioning it is necessary to change the grills on the cold air returns to types that have louvers in the back that will close off the grill as shown in figure 2.
You must have a central furnace with duct work.
Alternatively if the home has existing forced air heating the central a c system may be grafted onto the heating system by installing the evaporator coil in the furnace plenum and utilizing the furnace blower for air circulation or replacing it with a more suitable model.
The process of adding an ac to a furnace is simple enough it should cost around 3 500 4 000 for parts and labor and take no more than a few days.
Install and wire heat cool thermostat.
What is needed to add air conditioning to my furnace.
With a furnace you are already set up to provide airflow throughout your entire home.
Replace your furnace and air conditioner at the same time if you buy a high efficiency air conditioner above 16 seer this one s a bit hard because you can actually get an old furnace to work well in tandem with a new mid efficiency air conditioner.
Steps to retrofit ac to your furnace.
Adding central air conditioning to an existing forced air heating system means you can be rid of noisy dripping window ac units forever.
Air conditioning can t be installed on a boiler radiant heat systems.
The heat pump moves air from one place to another passing it through a condensing unit along the way.
You can utilize the existing fan and duct infrastructure for cold air by adding a few components to your existing furnace.
Unless the furnace you have now isn t capable or would be an issue providing the correct air flow for the new air conditioner.
Wire condenser high and low voltage.
By adding the returns near the ceiling you collect the hot air that is in the room and send it to the blower in the forced air furnace where it is cooled by the air conditioning coils.
In the case of an upflow vertical furnace the coil will sit on.
Either way the idea is simple.
You can add a heat pump to your existing furnace or ac unit for a mild weather solution or you can install a heat pump to be your primary standalone hvac solution.