Finishing basement: Add central AC?

[Anonymous]

We're getting ready to purchase a 1930s SFH (colonial) in DC with a mostly unfinished basement. Our plan is to insulate and finish the walls, add a small bathroom (there's already a toilet). There are a few windows around the basement.

We're going to have central AC installed in the house. I've heard from some folks that they don't believe you need to run AC to a basement in DC. (Our home inspector advised against it as he says it'll feel "clammy"). I'm struggling with the idea of NOT extending the AC to the basement, with our brutal summer temperatures.

Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

We refinished our basement in our DC row house and did not bring the AC down there. The basement stayed cool for the summer. We had an attic AC unit and thermodynamics help-- cold air falls. Be sure to have a dehumidifier down there. Our AC team advised us to install a ductless mini split if we had issues but we never did. So I think it's fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We refinished our basement in our DC row house and did not bring the AC down there. The basement stayed cool for the summer. We had an attic AC unit and thermodynamics help-- cold air falls. Be sure to have a dehumidifier down there. Our AC team advised us to install a ductless mini split if we had issues but we never did. So I think it's fine.

Air temp is not an issue but humidity is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We refinished our basement in our DC row house and did not bring the AC down there. The basement stayed cool for the summer. We had an attic AC unit and thermodynamics help-- cold air falls. Be sure to have a dehumidifier down there. Our AC team advised us to install a ductless mini split if we had issues but we never did. So I think it's fine.

Air temp is not an issue but humidity is.

+1 It will feel clammy no matter what. If the basement is below ground, it should stay pretty cool on its own. Make sure you run a dehumidifier all summer. You'll want to have some sort of drain near the floor to run the drain hose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We refinished our basement in our DC row house and did not bring the AC down there. The basement stayed cool for the summer. We had an attic AC unit and thermodynamics help-- cold air falls. Be sure to have a dehumidifier down there. Our AC team advised us to install a ductless mini split if we had issues but we never did. So I think it's fine.

Air temp is not an issue but humidity is.

+1 It will feel clammy no matter what. If the basement is below ground, it should stay pretty cool on its own. Make sure you run a dehumidifier all summer. You'll want to have some sort of drain near the floor to run the drain hose.

+2 We put in central A/C last year in our house but did not extend it to the basement. It definitely fine without it.

[Anonymous]

I would - easier to do it now while it is open.

[Anonymous]

Major fail, you want AC and Heat in the basement.

[Anonymous]

OP here: house has radiative heat already with a radiator in the basement. So that's likely not an issue (unless the single existing radiator isn't enough, in which case we may have to add a second). There is a fireplace down there that I'm pondering converting to gas as an additional potential heat source for winter.

[Anonymous]

Why on earth wouldn't you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: house has radiative heat already with a radiator in the basement. So that's likely not an issue (unless the single existing radiator isn't enough, in which case we may have to add a second). There is a fireplace down there that I'm pondering converting to gas as an additional potential heat source for winter.

that sounds terrible you want to have heating and cooling in one system through ducts or it looks half ass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: house has radiative heat already with a radiator in the basement. So that's likely not an issue (unless the single existing radiator isn't enough, in which case we may have to add a second). There is a fireplace down there that I'm pondering converting to gas as an additional potential heat source for winter.

that sounds terrible you want to have heating and cooling in one system through ducts or it looks half ass.

Oh look, it's the radiator hater.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: house has radiative heat already with a radiator in the basement. So that's likely not an issue (unless the single existing radiator isn't enough, in which case we may have to add a second). There is a fireplace down there that I'm pondering converting to gas as an additional potential heat source for winter.

that sounds terrible you want to have heating and cooling in one system through ducts or it looks half ass.

Actually, I think you'll find many many beg to differ and think that the preferred solution is radiative heating with central AC. I had previously posed this question and got an overwhelming amount of people preferring radiative heat over forced air.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why on earth wouldn't you?

Cost? (more ductwork, bigger AC system) Complexity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We refinished our basement in our DC row house and did not bring the AC down there. The basement stayed cool for the summer. We had an attic AC unit and thermodynamics help-- cold air falls. Be sure to have a dehumidifier down there. Our AC team advised us to install a ductless mini split if we had issues but we never did. So I think it's fine.

Air temp is not an issue but humidity is.

+1 It will feel clammy no matter what. If the basement is below ground, it should stay pretty cool on its own. Make sure you run a dehumidifier all summer. You'll want to have some sort of drain near the floor to run the drain hose.

You'll have to do one or both of these ... we just did a renov/addition, including some more space in basement (1,200 SF total down there now).

1st floor AC & gas furnace heat also feed the basement and crawl space area (new heat pump in attic heats & cools 2nd floor). We use a basement dehumidifier ~ April- October but it is very useful to have the AC down there, too, to help get moisure out of the air. It isn't clammy with both AC & dehumidifier, I don't think AC alone would dehumidify enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: house has radiative heat already with a radiator in the basement. So that's likely not an issue (unless the single existing radiator isn't enough, in which case we may have to add a second). There is a fireplace down there that I'm pondering converting to gas as an additional potential heat source for winter.

that sounds terrible you want to have heating and cooling in one system through ducts or it looks half ass.

Oh look, it's the radiator hater.

I don't think anyone really thinks that two different systems taking up room and having to maintain is a positive.