Adding a basement zone


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Old 08-09-08, 06:17 AM
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Adding a basement zone

We have a new Smith's boiler for single-zone radiant floor heat in our 1600sf ranch home with full basement. The basement is unheated and uninsulated and VERY cold in the winter. (We just went through the first winter this year.)

I want to add another heat zone in the basement. Do I need to have radiators all over the basement or can I get by on one or two walls? I would be using baseboard radiators or whatever else you might suggest. Also, how much would this cost me to have the work done? Estimates, I know - in New England. Thanks! Any advice for this project? We don't want to live in the basement, just use it for storage without having to worry about freezing things.
 
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Old 08-09-08, 08:25 AM
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What is the construction of the basement ? How much is underground ? Are the basement walls insulated in any way, such as foam boards on the outside of the wall, etc ... ? Are there any 'extra' sources of heat loss, i.e. basement windows ?

[edit: I see that you mentioned 'uninsulated' in your post, are you sure that there's nothing on the outside of the walls, underground ? ]

Is the boiler located in the basement ?

Does the boiler use an outside air vent for combustion air ?

Since you have radiant, I have to assume that the floor itself is insulated below the radiant tubing... ?

Reason I ask is: I'm assuming this is new construction, and therefore relatively 'air-tight'. But insulation and infiltration sealing are always the first steps. You don't want to heat the space only to have all that heat sucked into the outdoors rather than stay inside the home. So let's talk about that first.

It's almost impossible to give an estimate, as you probably have guessed.

Does freezing really pose a threat in the basement ? Is there any domestic water or sewer piping located there ? Have you had a chance to actually measure the temperature swings in the area ?
 
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Old 08-15-08, 05:41 PM
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Also, if this an unfinished basement, are you going to finish it someday or is it used as a playroom or workshop and that is why you want it warmer?

Would you be interested in a fan coil unit like a Modine heater. It hangs from the ceiling and you point it in the direction or the open space. Great for garages and workshop basements. Not good for finished basements. Too noisy for that.
 
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Old 08-16-08, 06:47 AM
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What temperature does the boiler typically use?
 
 

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