Basement Heating and Cooling

Heating Options

If modifying or expanding the main heating and cooling system in your home is impractical, you still have options. In fact, some of the products listed may prove more efficient, especially if you won't be using your new space constantly.

• Electric heaters of all kinds are usually the easiest and least costly to install but are the most expensive to operate. Electric heat still can be an efficient and comfortable solution, however, especially if you live in a mild climate, heat only sporadically, or heat only a small area.
• Baseboard heaters are 4 or 6 feet long and operate on normal household electrical current; plug them into a wall outlet or hardwire them to an electrical circuit. Baseboard heaters are quiet and easy to conceal, but again, they're costly and ineffective in larger areas.
• Electric wall heaters feature built-in fans to distribute heat and are small enough to fit in confined spaces, such as bathrooms. Because of the fans, wall heaters distribute heat faster but make some noise. They also must be hardwired into your home's circuits. Consider furniture placement when you locate a wall heater to avoid blocking the fan.
• Portable heaters come in several varieties: radiant heaters, which produce instant warmth; oil-filled radiators, which produce a quiet, even heat; and ceramic heaters, which are powerful yet compact. These heaters allow you to heat just the area you're using and are an efficient way to keep comfortable if you don't use your new space for long periods of time. The newest ceramic heaters use an electronic temperature control to smoothly vary the output of both the heating element and a very quiet fan. Their small size and ability to hold a constant temperature without cycling on and off make these units popular. Be sure to purchase only a new heater and look for one that has an oxygen-depletion sensor, which will automatically shut off the unit before building up a hazardous atmosphere.
• Direct-vent gas heaters are efficient, quiet, thermostatically controlled units that provide plenty of clean heat. They're designed to heat a room's air and then distribute the heated air with a fan. A pipe exits the rear of the appliance and penetrates an exterior wall to vent exhaust gases and draw combustion air into the appliance.