Heating in my basement

[Scoot]

I'm finishing my basement and I need advice on the heating vents down there. Currently, there are two vents that come in from the ceiling in the main room, which is about 600 square feet. There isn't a vent in the half bath, which I've added, right now. Should I run a vent into the half bath? Should I run venting in near the floor? Should I do anything different from how it currently is?

I'm not sure what info I need to provide to get the answers I'm looking for- so ask away if I need to provide more detail.

[Sandmannd]

My duct work went partially through my 3/4 bath when I built it. I just cut a hole in the tin and added a vent. Did the same in two spots in my reck room in the basement. Works good. Doesn't get as warm as upstairs. I also use an oil filled radiator heater in the basement on a timer for some extra heat. Also, you do want heat in the bathroom. Ever sit on a toilet seat outside, ouch.

[sparcebag]

If you think you need heat it there,use a 6' flex pipe tap into nearest accessable source,Personally I'd install it over head,its easier to conceal the new duct in the 1st floor joists.

[BoxMN]

Someone with better knowledge than me will correct me, but I am pretty sure you will want to make sure you have cold air returns down there as well, or the cooler air will have no place to go, and you won't get heat all the way down. I think that is why some peoples basements never get warm even though they say they add heat ducts... Good luck.

[jgeatz]

Electric baseboard works good in these sitiuations. If you add more duct to your current situation you might be taking heat from another part of the house thus defeating what you want to do. Your furnace might be at maximum output already, for the square foot that is heated now.

[The Grebe]

I have a question? Maybe a couple? I've heard of the cold air return vents put in the basement, here is my question/s....if the cold air is being returned from the upper floors and also from the basement and the furnace isn't running, what good does returning the air do and how does the cold air return if it is already at it's lowest point? What am I missing?

Seems to me that since it isn't an air tight closed system, the furnace would automatically suck the lower cold air from the floor area once it fired up? I know I'm missing something here, just don't know what it is?

[King Canada]

Heating systems are balanced. Cold air return is a misnomer as the furnace doesn't know whether the air is warm or cold. If you pull return air from near the ceiling it will be warmer than if the return is near the floor. This leads to a very boring discussion about the placement of air returns. If you don't have returns the warm air will seek it's highest level and stratify. If you are going to finish the basement try to understand your system and optimize it's performance before you cover everything up. On an average size home it would be unusual to find a furnace too undersized to serve the lower level. In fact since warm air naturally rises through the house it pays to deliver enough to the lower level.

[Surface Tension]

Yes you want a cold air return at floor level in the basement.

When adding heat register in the basement if at all possible that should be located at floor level also.

Go ahead and put a register in the bath, again at floor level if you can.