Drop Ceiling Return Air Plenum

I know it can and has been done but curious whether certain situations would not allow.

Drop ceiling return air plenum.

The space above the ceiling is not used as a return air plenum. Space between the structural ceiling and the dropped ceiling or under a raised floor is typically considered plenum. However some drop ceiling designs create a. A plenum space is a part of a building that can facilitate air circulation for heating and air conditioning systems by providing pathways for either heated conditioned or return airflows usually at greater than atmospheric pressure.

Since air will always take the path of least resistance removing all or part of the dropped ceiling and reducing the plenum area can create unique pressure and return airflow patterns which can vary on a daily weekly and seasonal basis and are usually at their worst when the air handling system is economizer mode taking in larger. Hi all curious of any and all opinions about using drop ceiling as a return air plenum. 602 2 of imc would allow plenum enclosure to be made of wood in this case because the building can be constructed with exposed wood framing. The way i interpret that is while the plenum edge can have exposed wood wood framing can t extend into the plenum such as a partition wall extending above the ceiling to the lid with the drywall stopping just above the ceiling.

Dropped ceilings or suspended ceilings are often installed so that the space between them and the floor above or the roof deck can be used as a return air plenum. The space above a ceiling is often used as a return air plenum in many types of commercial buildings meaning exhaust air from the room below is moved from the space through the plenum and then to ductwork leading to the central hvac system. The return air drop assembly is designed for the return air drop assembly is designed for up flow applications with side mount assembly and includes an exterior easy to access filter rack for a 1 in. Concrete slab ceiling above drop ceiling which is around 20 of store floor space and contacts only one 4 block.