I'm dealing with a really unusual situation where my basement is significantly hotter than the rest of my house. It stays around 90°F all year, while the rest of the home is a comfortable 70°F. There's no insulation between the basement and the first floor, so this heat makes its way up and makes things pretty miserable down there. I've spoken with contractors, but they all just say it's strange and that the warmth could help in winter. We're hoping to tackle this ourselves since we're not very handy. Our basement is unfinished and houses our oil furnace and hot water heater, with uninsulated piping. The only potentially contributory elements I see are the furnace's hot water output, which does indeed heat up when running, but even without the furnace on, the basement still stays hot. I've tried checking with an IR camera, but I haven't found any obvious sources of heat. So, I'm looking for any tips on how to cool this place down, or just make it more bearable. Could insulating the furnace piping really help?
4 Answers
A thermal imaging camera is a great idea! It might help pinpoint the exact spots where the heat is pouring in. It’s a more high-tech approach but could give you a clearer view of where your focus should be.
It sounds like your hot water tank or its piping might be radiating heat into your basement. You could try insulating those hot water pipes, especially if they’re made of metal. Also, if your heating system is in a constant loop, it might be worth consulting with a plumber about adding isolation valves to manage the heat flow more effectively. That could definitely help cool things down!
Are you using a dehumidifier? It helped me manage humidity when I faced mold issues. While it might not lower the temperature significantly, it can keep the air at a comfortable level. I have mine set to maintain about 40% humidity, and even though it doesn't cool the air, it does keep the basement more bearable overall!
That makes sense! High humidity can definitely make heat feel worse. Keep that dehumidifier runnin'!
Have you considered switching to a heat pump water heater? They pull heat from the surrounding air, so besides being energy-efficient, they also cool the area around them. It could be a big help in cooling down your basement while providing hot water!
Yeah, we do run a dehumidifier too. It helps with the humidity but hasn’t changed the temperature. Still, it beats having a mold problem!