If your family is living in a cramped home while there is a large, empty basement below, don’t let its currently dreary condition stop you from making the most of its potential. Transform it into a usable space and create more room for your family to live comfortably.
Renovating the basement is an ideal way to add value to your home. As found by Remodeling Magazine, your return on investment could be as much as 70%. It is typically more economical than constructing an extra room, with an average cost per square foot that is 10-15% lower than new construction.
That said, when renovating your basement, you need to be aware of how your heating and air conditioning system will fit into the new design. Consider if your current system can cool and heat the extra space, and how you can access the system’s components once the floorplan is in place.
Keeping Your HVAC Components Clear
When designing a finished basement, it is important to plan for a way to hide heating, cooling, and other mechanical components. This can be done by creating a separate room, known as a utility or mechanical room, to store and conceal these appliances from the rest of the living space without closing them off entirely. This will help keep the basement looking clean and organized while still allowing easy access to the appliances.
If you have any gas-powered appliances, like a furnace, in your basement, make sure the space meets all necessary ventilation requirements. Check the National Fuel Gas Code to find out how much ventilation space is needed based on the BTU output of the appliance.
In addition, having your furnace and other heating and cooling components easily accessible is recommended and may even be necessary, depending on your local building codes. Making sure they are accessible will allow for any necessary inspections, repairs, or replacements in the future.
To prepare for future issues, plan a mechanical room with enough space for a technician to access any equipment and enough room to take out an old furnace and install a new heating system. Ensure that the openings are wide enough to install or remove any components if necessary.
HVAC Codes for Finishing Basements
To make sure your basement is a safe place to live, local building codes may require you to take certain steps to ensure adequate heating and cooling. If there are not enough windows available or the existing ones don’t provide sufficient ventilation, you may have to install a mechanical ventilation system to make sure the air quality is healthy and safe for people living in the space. This can include ductwork to be installed by a professional.
The contractor should provide a plan that shows the location of existing ducts, equipment, supply, and return lines, along with where new ducts, registers, and other duct system components should be installed.
On top of that, your city or town may require you to get a special permit before you can add onto or replace your existing heating and air conditioning system with a new furnace, heat pump, or air conditioner.
Knowing the HVAC System Size Needed
A professional HVAC technician can help you decide how large of an HVAC system is required to keep your home at a comfortable temperature, along with any additional space, such as a finished basement. Depending on the size of the space, they may suggest adding a second unit for the basement. As for the unit’s power, a BTU calculation will be done. To calculate the BTUs needed to heat and cool the area, a Manual J load calculation will be performed by the professional.
Adding Extra Space to the Basement
If you make a large addition to your basement, it may be too much for your current heating and cooling systems to handle. You should check to see if your current HVAC system can deal with the extra load.
Keep in mind that the size of a heating or cooling system is not measured in pounds but instead in tons. To figure out the size of your existing heating and air conditioning equipment, you can usually look at the system’s model number. The larger the number in the model number of an air conditioner, the more BTUs it has and the larger the tonnage it is. For example, an air conditioner with model number 024 has 12,000 BTUs and is a 2-ton unit. An air conditioner with model number 030 has 15,000 BTUs and is 2.5 tons, and an air conditioner with model number 036 has 18,000 BTUs and is 3 tons.
If you want to discover the dimensions of an existing piece of machinery, you can also look up the model number on the manufacturer’s website to get the size information.
Upgrading versus Adding onto Existing HVAC Systems
If your current heating and air conditioning system isn’t able to adequately cool or heat your newly finished basement, there are two choices to consider. The first is to replace your existing system with a model that has a larger capacity. The second is to install an additional, separate system that will only affect the basement space.
The best choice for you depends on how old your current heating and air conditioning system is, as well as your budget and needs. If your system is relatively new and running well, it may not be necessary to upgrade at this time. However, if you constantly have to repair your current system or it is not performing as well as you would like, it might make more financial sense to upgrade to a newer, more efficient system that can handle your needs better.
If you are considering replacing or expanding your current heating and cooling system, you will need to install a new duct system. The cost of this can be estimated with the ductwork calculator but typically runs around $1,200. In addition, you need to make sure that you have enough room for the ductwork and HVAC components in your mechanical room.
For a cost-saving measure, ductless mini-split systems are a great way to heat and cool finished basements without having to install expensive and space-consuming ducts. Instead, the indoor air-handling units are placed in different locations and can be connected to a single exterior condenser. This allows for more flexibility and cost savings while still providing an efficient way to keep the basement comfortable.
Conclusion
And that’s most of the things you need to know when adding an HVAC system to your basement. Remember, there can still be other considerations to make, such as how to tackle moisture-related problems that basements commonly face. Either way, talk with your HVAC contractor and see what can be done to ensure that your HVAC installation is problem-free and effective. That way, you can make the most out of the basement, adding to your home’s overall function and value!
HVAC Swami is a group of HVAC experts offering the help homeowners need to enjoy professional HVAC services and make the right decision regarding their home’s HVAC needs. If you are looking for 24-hour HVAC near you in the US, find a pro with us today!
