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Are there any ducts between the floor joists (that handle the first floor HVAC)?
If you can get any kind of ducts down there, I'd keep the air handler fan on (low speed if it has the option) all the time so it balances the temps on all the floors.
There are stand-alone A/C and heating options as well but they won't be as efficient.
We have that exact setup and the builder also only framed out the basement. We did DIY runs along the ceiling joists parallel with the ones that heat/cool our upstairs, but I wouldn't recommend it. The downstairs is considerably colder and so we end up heating upstairs way hotter than we want, just to keep it liveable (two bedrooms downstairs). We are in PA. I would consider dual-zone, at least.
I live in Greenville, SC area and am planning to build a home through a developer with a walkout basement.
The basement is around 1500sf. It will be framed, but that's it. I plan to add a small apartment for my mother in law, a media room and storage.
It won't come with any ductwork. What would be the best way to add a HVAC system to the basement?
I would ask the builder about running HVAC ducts to the "lower level" not actually a basement but another discussion. Ask about a main shutoff/block until said time as you get ready to refinish and need such. Also ask about a separate system. Heat pump systems work very well in the south.
In my first home build in SC, the builder said I was a typical Yankee. I was more worried about heating then cooling. He said reverse your concerns.
The BEST solution is a separate system for the basement. And for Greenville you could probably go with a heat pump with no problems. But, if you find yourself needing a more traditional furnace- A/C look at fuel availability and cost comparisons. Also keep in mind that if you use a conventional gas furnace you'll need a "path" for the furnace flue. Or you'll need to go with a H/E system that can be direct vented.
Using (or expanding) the system for the rest of the house is not economically smart.
If the developer won't do extra in the basement find a contractor that will after the house is built. We framed, insulated, and cut out ductwork into the main line across the house. We are in PA, so it's cold and heat in the basement will eventually make it's way upstairs.
Another other option is a fireplace/ stove to supplement heat (not sure how hot it get's there).
The BEST solution is a separate system for the basement. And for Greenville you could probably go with a heat pump with no problems. But, if you find yourself needing a more traditional furnace- A/C look at fuel availability and cost comparisons. Also keep in mind that if you use a conventional gas furnace you'll need a "path" for the furnace flue. Or you'll need to go with a H/E system that can be direct vented.
Using (or expanding) the system for the rest of the house is not economically smart.
I was thinking about going this way, because my mother in law likes it warmer than we do in the winter. In the summer it should stay fairly cool.
Another developer had quoted something like $5k just for the ductwork.
$5k just for ductwork!?
That's ridiculous! You probably aren't finishing all that sq/ft- and if half of the basement is subterranean you'll probably only need a 1-1/2ton unit. I've done complete systems for around that price with my HVAC contractor.
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