Gas and Oil Home Heating Furnaces - Negative Air Pressure-Heat Pump

I have Negative Air pressure with Heat Pump..Doors close..chimney odor etc...20 yo inside unit...3 yo outside unit..Contractor had to cut 6 inch hole,3 years ago, in the air return trunk near air filter to enable the system to work properly, it was giving me problems electronically..NOW it runs ok, seems efficient, BUT the NEG pressure drives me NUTS..Please, no lectures on the contractor!I know I made a mistake!I need the most efficient, least expensive way to solve the problem..Thanks in advance !
RON

I would simply crack a window in the room with the fireplace. I'm not an HVAC man, but that should help equalize the air pressure. No more downdrafts, fireplace should draw properly, etc. A small opening will bring in a little extra outside fresh air, but your heatpump should be able to handle it well, and you probably will never notice the difference on your power bill. Good Luck!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by OldGuy:
I would simply crack a window in the room with the fireplace. I'm not an HVAC man, but that should help equalize the air pressure. No more downdrafts, fireplace should draw properly, etc. A small opening will bring in a little extra outside fresh air, but your heatpump should be able to handle it well, and you probably will never notice the difference on your power bill. Good Luck!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I tried that last year, I left a window open in the same room where the inside air handler is, and where there is the 6 inch hole in return air duct....helped but not good enough..

ok...Look at your Problem..... Negative air pressure... which means you are removing air from the house... you must have a supply leak... if your loosing air from the house, it means th return is doing its job, but the air is being pumped out of the house through the supply.... now possitive is just the opposate, your return is broken and pulling air from out side the house and pumping it into the house....

This explanation sounds right to me.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by R-12guy:
ok...Look at your Problem..... Negative air pressure... which means you are removing air from the house... you must have a supply leak... if your loosing air from the house, it means th return is doing its job, but the air is being pumped out of the house through the supply.... now possitive is just the opposate, your return is broken and pulling air from out side the house and pumping it into the house....<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It is quite common to get negitive pressure in a house. The houses are built so tight, and windows cauked. Negitive pressure comes from all the exhaust(s) from the house without the replacement of air. (ie bathroom exhausts, kitchen exhusts, dryer vent, gas water heater (hope yours is electric), whole house fans.
Recommend (simple) hook that 6" opening in the airhandler to a 6" screened vent with a damper, insulate the pipe.Now this will bring air in so long as the blower is on. This air does need to be cooled or heated and will increase the running time on the heat pump.
Recommend (best) have an air exchanger installed that exhausts air and brings air in so as to exchange the exhaust air to heat the incoming air. This uses 4 - 6" pipes. One intake one exhaust to outside, inside it has one fresh air and one air to be exhausted. This will help with your indoor air quality.
GOOD LUCK

All I know is that i get a strong chimney odor,and doors close...If the blower is blowing too strongly, would that cause the problem?...if the ducts blowing the treated air are too small, would that cause the problem? This heat pump was put in 20 years ago, and I am sure it was not put in by a "heat pump" competent contractor. I am thinking more in line with the "too small ducts for sending out the warm/cool air".

K.I.S.S.( keep it simple stupit )
take an air tight box, air pressure in side = same as outside... ok heat the box air inside expands cool it it contracts, now add a supply and return duct. attach a blower to it.. this circulates the air.. and yes with a heat pump you want slow air movement, drafts make you feel cold...ok,,, remove the supply, and you should create a small negitive pressure in the house, and yes any exhaust fans will add to the problembut not that bad.... very low CFM ... not like a three ton heat pump...... ok fix that problem and remove the return now we be pumping outside air in to the house, thus we are adding pressure...If this problem has just started, i would be looking at all your duct work... and i mean all.. top bottom and both sides of it ... looking around the airhandler.... take a cigar with you and with it burning check around smoke blowing away from duct is supply leak, smoke sucking in to duct is a return leak... and both need to be taped..