Basement Playroom Ventilation

zbwmy

Hi Guys,

First post here. I am planning on putting a playroom in my basement. I would like to provide some ventilation. Suck the cigar smoke out for me and add fresh air for the kids. Also, concerned with getting rid of moist New England summer air from this below grade room. I am planning on electric baseboard heat and not tapping into my forced air heat/cool system.
The finished room size will be approximately 12X20. Any thoughts?

Unregistered

check this site

http://content.honeywell.com/yourhom...ent_choose.htm

zbwmy

thanks...I am looking in to the heat recovery ventilation setup, but want to see if there is a system for just my one room.

Mike Finley

Radon mitigation systems do this all day long.

zbwmy

Had not thought of that...thanks

HVAC Doc

Do you have access to the ceiling space above the room you want to ventilate? Is it close to an outside wall? Why not install an exhaust fan like what is used in bathrooms (use a higher CFM commercial grade vs. residential)?

Teetorbilt

Don't smoke around the kids. Gave my daughter nearly terminal asthma.

zbwmy

How do I bring in the fresh air?

HVAC Doc

Well do you currently have any supply or returns in your basement room? Just "dumping" air in from the outside unconditioned is not going to help you remove any humidity/moisture. Is the basement area where you want to smoke your cigars separate from the kids play area? Another thing too is if you do have returns down there, you are going to have a hard time keeping the cigar smoke from other areas of the house. If there is no type of ventilation (your current HVAC system), you are asking for truouble just pulling outside air in with no type of conditioning (ie heating it, cooling it, dehumidifying it, or humidification). You might want to find a better place to smoke!

zbwmy

Lets forget smoking cigars..pipe dream only. I really am interested in an economical way to ventilate the room. By ventilate, I mean exhaust moist basement air and bring in outside air. I am worried that once the room is built and furnished, it always going to smell musty because it is below grade and in the summer it is musty and damp now. I know I can install those heat recovery units (Guardian), but there must be alternatives. The ceiling of this proposed playroom does have both the cold air returns and warm air supply registers. HVAC is propane forced hot air with central a/c.

HVAC Doc

Honestly, an HRV is your best bet to accomplish what you are wanting. Since you already have supply and returns there, it seems to make the most sense.

zbwmy

Is there a HRV unit small enough to just do this one room/ Or will I have to connect it next to the furnace for the whole house?

HVAC Doc

You connect it to your central HVAC system. Since you have stated you have returns and supplys in the basement, you will gain from having the fresh air added into your system (as well as the rest of your house). You do not want to just pull in outside air with out some means of conditioning it (filtered/humidified/dehumidified) as you will end up with the same problems (or worse) than you have now.

zbwmy

Thanks Doc...to get full potential from this setup i must leave my furnace blower in the always on setting correct?

HVAC Doc

That would be the best as it would give you the most air exchanges per hour but there are many who don't and do not get the full benefit.