What to use to heat unfinished basement?

[mowin]

Need to add a little heat to my unfinished basement. We use a split system and a pellet stove upstairs (ranch style house). Much cheaper than the old oil furnace. Which will be changed to propane next year, and there is a 3/4" capped propane line in the basement. 

However, since we don't use the oil furnace, the basement gets friggin cold. Making that floors friggin cold.  Just looking for something to keep it in the upper 50's or so.  

Looking for something that doesn't break the bank for initial cost, and operation costs. 

 

 

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by mowin

[DirtTime]

I would put some low-cost padding and carpet on the floor for a little insulation. If you're not fussy about the color, you might get that stuff below or close to $100. For heat, maybe a kerosene heater? Portable electric heater?

 

 

EDIT. Read it wrong.

 

Any way to insulate the under side of the floors?

 

 

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by DirtTime

[Nytracker]

Dont know about today's cost but I heated my raised ranch from the ground up with rice coal . Did it for about 8 years.  Wife didn't like the dust so we fired up the natural gas and sold the coal stove . Once the concrete  got warm the house was toasty.  Let the concrete  get cold and it took 3 days to heat back without  the help of the gas furnace.

[sbuff]

I put one of these in my garage another buddy put in his basement 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/HearthSense-30-000-BTU-Ventless-Dual-Fuel-Infrared-Plaque-Heater-With-Base-and-Blower-T-Stat-Control-140326/313801095

[mowin]

2 hours ago, sbuff said:

I put one of these in my garage another buddy put in his basement 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/HearthSense-30-000-BTU-Ventless-Dual-Fuel-Infrared-Plaque-Heater-With-Base-and-Blower-T-Stat-Control-140326/313801095

I was thinking about something similar, but vented. The ventless creates too much moisture. 

[phade]

7 minutes ago, mowin said:

I was thinking about something similar, but vented. The ventless creates too much moisture. 

Alot of people say that but I haven't ever actually seen it coming from experience. 

In my basements of my homes, I've had a pellet stove, and two ventless heater/fireplace. Pellet Stove was nice but with my back it had to go. Propane has been awesome. Being in the basement and with heat rising, the air carried "moisture" throughout the house and never really got concentrated anywhere, where it became an issue. One of the prior homes, I had a cold spot in an area I liked on the floor above, and it was on the opposite side of the fireplace. I cut small hole in the hardoods, put a vent cover on it, and wired in a super small electric/bathroom exhaust fan. 

I think alot of people over-estimate how airtight their homes are, which really mitigates the moisture component IMO. 

Perhaps the best use case I can remember is when we lost power for a few days during an ice storm. No need to worry about the furnace getting power. That fireplace kept the house above worry level (not to be confused with warm, but still). 

[sbuff]

43 minutes ago, mowin said:

I was thinking about something similar, but vented. The ventless creates too much moisture. 

I haven't had that issue nor has my buddy in his basement. Truthfully I love mine 

Edited October 17, 2022 by sbuff

[Taylormike]

I've used these before and they can and do create a lot of moisture. However, just crack a window if need be.  This is how I would do it, you'll save a lot money.

 

 

 

[mlammerhirt]

I haven't had that issue nor has my buddy in his basement. Truthfully I love mine 

How big is your garage? Also is it insulated?

I have been considering this option for a while. Looking to overhaul the garage this summer....and I may add a version like you have just run a natural gas line.

Sent from my SM-A716V using Tapatalk

[phade]

16 minutes ago, mlammerhirt said:

How big is your garage? Also is it insulated?

I have been considering this option for a while. Looking to overhaul the garage this summer....and I may add a version like you have just run a natural gas line.

Sent from my SM-A716V using Tapatalk
 

Look into the radiant vs open flame styles. Radiant supposed to be better for garages and the like. Personally for me, I've had better luck with the flame. Radiant seems to take forever - even though that is not supposed to be the case - and then all of a sudden you're hot as heck and need to regulate, lol. I also feel like radiant is weird on my skin and eyes after a while - it's an infrared heat like being outside.

[sbuff]

34 minutes ago, mlammerhirt said:

How big is your garage? Also is it insulated?

I have been considering this option for a while. Looking to overhaul the garage this summer....and I may add a version like you have just run a natural gas line.

Sent from my SM-A716V using Tapatalk
 

Two car garage , exterior walls aren't insulated, doors are, ceiling and interior wall is I keep at the lowest setting and its 50 degrees all winter long .

I ran the gas line myself ,furnace is on the other side of wall maybe 10' away .

Edited October 17, 2022 by sbuff

[wolc123]

TSC has 1500 watt infared (electric) heaters for $ 99 ea. They are rated for 1000 square ft.  I’d put a couple of those down there and set the thermostats at 55.  They probably need to be plugged into 20 amp outlets.  
 

It sounds like the Democrats want to get everyone on electric heat anyhow, so you will be ahead of the game.