Basement heating options

[Split this!]

Hello, It's been a while since I was on! My last conversations were on the idea of switching from wood to pellet. I've since given up on that idea after weighing the cost to change from wood to pellet, with stove, pipe, using electric and so on. We decided to use the money, and have a new HVAC system installed in the house. The old furnace was a 1972 over kill model that was very insufficient! The A/C system was 18 years old, contractor grade, under sized! Both were installed prior to us owning the house. We thought more efficient, and resale value would work better for us. The whole deal is, we've heated the house since we've owned it with a wood stove we installed after removing the fireplace. My latest stove is an England stove NC-30. Great stove, heats the entire house very well with the exception of the basement. I know heat rises, but there really wasn't an option to put a stove downstairs. I've been using 2 electric heaters (the oil filled radiator type) and the cost is hurting the whole idea of beating the man out of heating cost. The new furnace, comparing Gas and electric bills from the same time period last year, is 20 dollars more to run the furnace. Hardly worth all the time and work invested trying to heat with a wood stove. I have to be honest, it's not as warm and cozy in the house, but definitely leaves me more time for other things, like hunting and chores, and you all know, there's just something about wood heat that's addictive! If anyone could clue me in on what that is, I'd appreciate it! I would be more encouraged to go back to the wood stove if I could come up with a cheaper way to heat the basement! There is living space down there, a bedroom, along with a bathroom, and laundry room, so it needs to be somewhat warm. I'm looking for some alternative ways to heat down there! Any ideas are welcome, I have electric, I don't think I'd be interested in running a propane line. My furnace is natural gas, which is piped in down there. Are there any electric heaters that are more cost efficient to run? Thanks for any ideas, I'm sure you guys have crossed this issue before! Thanks again, Split This!

 

[066blaster]

Do you have any heat vents you can open in the basement? I would open them and maybe add some more, and close some upstairs. Kick your gas furnace in when you want to use the basement. It would be cheaper to heat it with gas than electricity. Or open the basement vents close some upstairs and use your fan only option on your furnace to move some of your woodstove heat to the basement

 

[zogger]

Run the blower on your furnace, with the furnace either shutoff or set really low on the thermostat? Is there an option, an easy one, for just the blower? That will circulate household hot air all around, given the downstairs has ductwork.

 

[chads]

Hard to force the heat down there with return air duct on first floor.
Either a fan with a hole in the floor to get it there or a return air duce near the floor of bsmt with fan running to circulate it.

One other thing to consider is insulation down there.
Chad

 

[longbowch]

I had the same problem, cold basement. I put in an add on wood furnace. Best thing I ever did. Basement is 75* and upstairs is 72, haven't ran the gas furnace since.

 

[babybart]

Turn t-stat to fan only, return on first floor will take heated air from stove and distribute to basement, cheapest option, try and see and let us know.

 

[sawfun]

I have a gas furnace, but if I am gonna be home a while, I use a small woodstove in my basement. It cuts the gas bill by a third to half from october through april. Wood heat heats the structure where gas only warms the air.

 

[tla100]

I had the same problem, cold basement. I put in an add on wood furnace. Best thing I ever did. Basement is 75* and upstairs is 72, haven't ran the gas furnace since.

Yep, I run on all wood with burner in basement.

 

[flotek]

get a forced air furnace for basement even heat everywhere

 

[anlrolfe]

Electric heaters are all going to be about the same when it comes to power consumption. Think of it like a toaster. Those wires get hot and they consume energy. Watts = Volts x Current. Doesn't matter if its halogen, ceramic or NiChrome wire. Heat is heat and power is power. Your only gain may be in a more efficient blower motor or timer features so that it doesn't run constant. Most portable electric heaters are 1400 watts regardless of how big or how small. 1400 watts = 12amps @ 120v. Theoretically you can plug it into any household outlet whether its 15 or 20 amp circuit and run it continuously without overloading the wire. So, why are those big Amish heaters costing $150-$225 any better that a $20 dept store model?? because you think it is!!

Having a wood stove in the basement is tops. The basement will be dryer and 1st floor toasty warm. Growing up, the family homestead had a metal bilco door that we'd use and toss the wood into the basement. We stored about 3-4 cord under the back mud room(entry room) and about 10 cord split between the wood shed and garage. The wood stove was central located in the basement. Dad cut cold air returns strategically below windows and the basement stairs were the convection warm air supply. At one point we opened up end caps on the cold air returns in the basement and used the furnace "fan" to assist distributing air.

Getting your firewood to the stove is what will either make or break the stoves location. How many cord would you be schlepping into the basement??

 

[alleyyooper]

Never seen a basement where a chimney could not be built some place to vent smoke from a good England 28 3500 add on wood furnace and have a warm dry basement all winter as well as a very warm house.

Al