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radiant and or furnace heat in basement question

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noah99
noah99 Member Posts: 10
Hi all,
I have a 2500sq ft. basement with radiant zoned floor heat by a viessmann boiler as well as a Trane xc95m furnace supplying heat to the area. We have lived in the home for 4 years and in the past I have closed off all the heat registers and just ran the floor heat in the basement and use the furnace for the rest of the home. This fall I have been reading that I should never close my heat registers in the basement in the winter and have since opened them(I have no dampers installed to decrease the basement flow). The temperature is now very comfortable in the basement at 21-22c, but I have not even turned on the floor heat yet(live in Canada). My question is how should I set up the heating my basement with radiant or furnace heat or a combination? and which is most efficient. My basement has been very comfortable in the past with the radiant heat and would like to continue this way but I am concerned about having all the basement heat registers closed and causing issues with my furnace as well as no fresh air being introduced into the basement living space. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated as I am sure there are other homes that have this type of set up and would like to know how they heat their basement.
Thanks
Kevin

Comments

  • Gordy
    Gordy Member Posts: 9,546
    edited November 2014
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    Is there any return air ducts in the basement?
    There should be at least one return in each room depending on room size upstairs, except kitchen, and baths.

    your furnace modulates, and has a variable speed blower. The key is proper airflow through the heat exchanger of that furnace.

    What's heating the water for the radiant?

    When the systems were installed were they done by the same contractor. Radiant, and forced air?

  • noah99
    noah99 Member Posts: 10
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    there is a return air duct in each room, a boiler is heating the water for floor heat vitodens 200 and all done by the same contractor. i just want to know if i have to have vents open in the basement and /or can i just use the floor heat there. it seems like a waist to have floor heat when the heat ducts are heating the room. but i don't want to cause any pressure issues in the home as well as problems with the furnace