It’s a question I’ve often grappled with—should you heat your basement in the winter? On the one hand, heating bills are already sky high when temps are frigid, but on the other hand, will not heating the basement lead to a catastrophe, like a burst water pipe?
I dug into the best expert tips and spoke to a master plumber to get to the bottom of this conundrum. Here’s what they advised.
Yes, You Should Heat Your Unfinished Basement in the Winter
Rather than waiting to turn the heat on until temps drop to extreme levels, keep your unfinished basement heated to at least 55°F, says Nathan Hudelson, a Master Plumber at Schlueter Plumbing in Cincinnati, OH. “Yes, a minimal amount of heat in the basement is a very good idea to keep pipes from freezing. In my humble opinion, 55 degrees should be the minimum,” he advises.
If you live in a warmer climate where temperatures rarely fall below freezing, your basement may stay well above 55°F without using heat. Since basements are underground, the earth surrounding them offers some natural insulation, keeping temperatures better regulated than the rest of your house.
Heat Tape is An Effective Way to Protect Those Basement Pipes from Bursting
Aside from advising clients to keep temperatures regulated, Hudelson also recommends heat tape as a way to protect exposed basement pipes from freezing. “We’ve had very good results with it if it is used correctly and the electricity doesn’t go off. Heat tape or heat trace is a wire that runs along a pipe and generates a very small amount of resistance heat to keep pipes warm,” he says.
After the heat tape is applied, insulate your pipes and plug the heat tape in to verify it works correctly.
Heating Your Basement to the Same Temps as the Rest of the House Isn’t Necessary
In most cases (unless there are air gaps and a lack of insulation), an unfinished basement won’t reach temperatures low enough to freeze the pipes. Still, it’s best to take a proactive approach and monitor heat levels, ensuring they don’t fall below the recommended 55°F.
The good news is that you don’t need to heat your basement to the same temperatures as the rest of the house, especially if it goes unused. While you’ll likely want your finished basement to stay comfortable, an unfinished basement can get by with minimal heat.
Proper Insulation Can Save You From Costly Heating Bills
While the earth does a good job of insulating the basements of homes in moderate climates, it may not cut it if you live in a northern state where temperatures are regularly below freezing. If your basement has framed-out walls, adding spray foam or rigid foam insulation can help keep warm air in the basement, saving you on heating bills.
Whether you’re adding insulation or not, you should seal up any cracks in the basement floors or walls and ensure that your windows aren’t leaky.
You Might Need to Add a Heating Source
If your unfinished basement doesn’t have a heating source, and you’re worried about the upcoming weather, now may be the time to consider adding one.
In my basement, I have a wall heater and an infrared space heater, which I use when harsh weather is forecasted. Other options to keep your basement warmer include baseboard heaters, radiant floor heating, wood stoves, and pellet stoves. Since heat rises (and tries to escape the basement), you can also utilize a ceiling fan, circulating it clockwise to push air down towards the walls.
