Replies

1. 
   DanH | Jun 26, 2011 10:22pm | #1

   You shouldn't need much heat in the basement if you insulate reasonably well.  Either a zone off your current furnace or electric baseboard heat would be the way to go.

   If you zone the existing furnace, make sure that the warm air is delivered at floor level, preferably along the outside walls.

2. 
   calvin | Jun 27, 2011 06:50am | #2

   Return air

   On one basement finish I did the heating contractor advised and installed a return air so the furnace wouldn't pull the air up into the 1st floor return.  Something to think about.  Further, when walling off the heating equipment, consider future service and removal of the unit.  Also, combustion air if not a sealed unit that pulls the combustion air from outside.

1. 
   Ledebuhr1 | Jun 27, 2011 07:48am | #3

   Thanks,

   I dont think there is any way of having the supply runs run down to the floor.

   I know it wont need much heat but something is better than nothing.

   I planned on having two return airs in the basement for that zone. The main floor would be on a seperate zone. I would need quite a few zone dampers to seperate the two spaces.

1. 
   DanH | Jun 27, 2011 08:13am | #4

   If you don't have the heat delivered at floor level, you won't be heating the basement.  You'll be heating the basement ceiling.

1. 
   Ledebuhr1 | Jun 27, 2011 08:19am | #5

   I thought by putting in returns in at the floor level, it would force the warm air down. I can think of many commercial buildings that only have the heat supplied to the room from the top. 

1. 
   rdesigns | Jun 27, 2011 03:59pm | #6

   Not only do they have heat supplied from the top, they have the return up there too. The performance of registers--that is, their effectiveness in throwing and mixing air, is not primarily a function of their location--it is primarily due to the type of register selected along with sufficient air velocity in the duct.

   Far too many HVAC contractors use registers without referring to the manufacturer's specs. and without knowing the velocity of air that the duct delivers.

   The location of return(s) is even farther down the list of importance, assuming that the supplies are performing right.

3. 
   Ledebuhr1 | Jun 28, 2011 07:02pm | #7

   What is a reliable type of damper? I want something that isnt going to cause problems down the road. electric or pneumatic?

1. 
   DanH | Jun 28, 2011 07:11pm | #8

   I think the 3-wire electric dampers are pretty reliable.  We have EWC "Ultra-Zone" units that have operated fine for 5 years now.  You need a controller that can operate them, though.