ᐅ Should an unused basement in a new build be heated or not?
Created on: 15 Jan 2018 19:50
H
Hubert123
Hello everyone,
I have been testing my heat pump quite intensively lately.
We moved into our new build (bungalow KFW 55, 2016, 220 square meters (2370 square feet) ground floor, 120 square meters (1290 square feet) basement) in April 2017, and now we are in our first winter with the heat pump.
The basement is completely unused. It’s just masonry. What would you do?
Heat it? Not heat it at all and just ventilate briefly now and then? Heat it and ventilate?
I’m worried about mold growth.
I asked five people and got five different answers.
The fact is: heating the basement, even only on level 2 out of 6, would cost an extra 500€ per year in heating costs!
But the fact is also: I don’t want any mold!
So, what do you think?
Thanks for your helpful opinions.
I have been testing my heat pump quite intensively lately.
We moved into our new build (bungalow KFW 55, 2016, 220 square meters (2370 square feet) ground floor, 120 square meters (1290 square feet) basement) in April 2017, and now we are in our first winter with the heat pump.
The basement is completely unused. It’s just masonry. What would you do?
Heat it? Not heat it at all and just ventilate briefly now and then? Heat it and ventilate?
I’m worried about mold growth.
I asked five people and got five different answers.
The fact is: heating the basement, even only on level 2 out of 6, would cost an extra 500€ per year in heating costs!
But the fact is also: I don’t want any mold!
So, what do you think?
Thanks for your helpful opinions.
H
Hubert12316 Jan 2018 12:12Incredibly low costs on your end.
I tested it a few days ago at around 5-10°C (41-50°F) outdoor temperature.
Without a basement floor, about 15-18 kilowatt hours per day; with a basement floor, about 30 kilowatt hours per day.
And I only had the electric heating register set to level 2 down there!
Although I’m not sure if there’s a difference in power consumption between level 2 and level 6, since the supply temperatures for the upper floor are about 30°C (86°F) anyway, and for the basement they’re just mixed...
I tested it a few days ago at around 5-10°C (41-50°F) outdoor temperature.
Without a basement floor, about 15-18 kilowatt hours per day; with a basement floor, about 30 kilowatt hours per day.
And I only had the electric heating register set to level 2 down there!
Although I’m not sure if there’s a difference in power consumption between level 2 and level 6, since the supply temperatures for the upper floor are about 30°C (86°F) anyway, and for the basement they’re just mixed...
H
HilfeHilfe16 Jan 2018 12:30ypg schrieb:
That sounds a lot like poor planning and the idea that “a basement is a must, no matter what.”
My comment won’t help you, dear Hubert, but it might be useful for others who are deciding whether to build with or without a basement.Sorry for Hubert, but I thought the same... large living space plus a huge basement that isn’t needed, and now having to worry about heating.
It doesn’t add up.
Hubert123 schrieb:
I tried it out recently at around 5-10 degrees Celsius (41-50 degrees Fahrenheit) outdoor temperature.
Without a basement, about 15-18 kilowatt hours per day, with a basement around 30 per day.
And I only had the electric resistance heater set to level 2 at the bottom!!
Although I’m not sure if it makes a difference in energy consumption whether it’s level 2 or 6, since the supply temperatures for the upper floor are about 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) anyway, and for the basement they are just mixed… I don’t think such a short “test” is very conclusive. You have to warm up the entire mass of screed, walls, etc. first. How long did this test last?
H
Hubert12316 Jan 2018 13:58If heating is necessary, I just do it... But is there a clear guideline that says: Yes, you have to heat, or no, you don’t have to...? Or is ventilation alone sufficient?
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