We are finishing our walkout basement ( aprox 930 SF) and I'm deciding on how it is going to be heated. For starters, we have FHW by oil for the test of the house and I could add another zone for 2500.00 +\-. A 3 head Mitsubishi would provide heat and a/c for 5000.00 +/- and another option would be electric baseboards. The room will not be used everyday and is very well insulated now. Never drops below 50* even in the coldest days. Anyone have recommendations ?
Heating options
- Thread starter Tomtint
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Carl_NH
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Is the FHW Boiler in the same area? If it is, you could put in 20-30' of baseboard and cut into the return from your cooler areas like bedrooms so you get some heat down there. Since it's 50* all the time you aren't adding a lot if BTU to the boiler. This should cost maybe $300.
$2500 seems way out of line for a zone unless there is a lot of new piping and new manifolds and circulators involved, and you can buy a lot of electricity for that amount of money.
I have a office in a detached garage, 850 SF and have been heating that with a Monitor kerosene heater for years and considering changing to a split system heat pump for heat and cooling too when the Monitor dies, and seems these units are going to cost $2500-3000 plus installation likely nearly $4.5K but annual costs would be lower than the kerosene.
If you need AC and this can keep your house cool too then I would go the $5K route and with the most efficient units there is a tax credit too.
$2500 seems way out of line for a zone unless there is a lot of new piping and new manifolds and circulators involved, and you can buy a lot of electricity for that amount of money.
I have a office in a detached garage, 850 SF and have been heating that with a Monitor kerosene heater for years and considering changing to a split system heat pump for heat and cooling too when the Monitor dies, and seems these units are going to cost $2500-3000 plus installation likely nearly $4.5K but annual costs would be lower than the kerosene.
If you need AC and this can keep your house cool too then I would go the $5K route and with the most efficient units there is a tax credit too.
Fortunately our basement is very dry. I put 16 mil plastic under the slab before it was poured and we sit on what amounts to perc sand. ( very good drainage) Any humidity could be knocked down very easy with a window ac for the few really bad weeks we get in the summer.
The boiler is in the basement. Not in the same room but not far. I thought 2500 was high as well, maybe I should get a few more prices on it.
KennyG
Elite Member
The added loop sounds good. For your limited needs the electric might be the cheapest. You say the basement is dry but you might consider a heat recovery ventilator. In my basement it cut the summer humidity way down.
With your 50 degree temps and limited use it sounds like electric baseboards would be pretty darned cost effective. I usually avoid them except in certain circumstances- I'd say this is one. I like the hydronic ones myself.