Heating the basement

Gigfy

I have steam heat and want to heat my basement . Is it recomended to take hot water from the steam boiler and circulate it through a baseboard system with a circulating pump?

Jamie Hall

That certainly is much the simplest way to do it. If all the baseboard is going to be below the water level in the boiler, all you need to do is find a convenient tap on the boiler below the water line, pipe from that to a pump, then the baseboards, then back to a wet return somewhere. The control can be just a thermostat to turn on the pump -- although you can get fancy and add an aquastat to turn on the boiler to make sure it's hot. Doesn't take much of a pump.

ethicalpaul

Doesn't even have to be below the water line:

https://heatinghelp.com/systems-help-center/how-to-run-a-hot-water-zone-off-a-steam-boiler/

Big Ed_4

Yes, if you heat blow the water line , you don't need a heat exchanger to pressurize the column of water . Just to note circulators get eating up with solids left behind . Maintain and repair any steam leaks

ethicalpaul

Even above the water line you don't need a heat exchanger. Broken record mode is on.