Adding a basement **

[bf5005]

Hi,
My Aunt just had 5 split unit Fujitsu air conditioners/heat pumps installed in her 1 floor ranch house. She decided to go with this model because the heat pump can go down to 0 degrees. She is excited about the energy savings using the heatpumps vs. the cost of using the Oil Fired Boiler all winter; which although she loves the "wrap around warmth" it creates throughtout the house, it is very expensive. She currently has a boiler that provides the domestic hot water and heats the cast iron baseboards that go throughout the main living floor. So the boiler would still be running for water a few times a day providing some heat for the basement. Her concern is that she will forget to turn up the thermostat on the main heat on those days/nights where the basement will need heat to keep the pipes from freezing. She does have a garage on one side of the basement, so it gets colder over there. Would having the programable thermostat run above the split unit settings for about a half hour 4 times a day be * Is it possible to add a second thermostat to the basement that would over-ride the main floor * You thoughts and suggestions will be helpful.

[Edward]

Is there any type of heat installed in the basement * Radiators, fin tube radiation, or fan/coil unit. If there isn't, a thermostat in the basement won't do you much good. The programmable thermostat on the main zone may work to achieve what you are trying to do if its needed. To tell you if that will be enough is hard to do. The hot boiler itself may even be enough. You may just have to monitor the basement temp while you are running the heatpumps to get a better idea. Then adjust accordingly.

[bf5005]

Thanks for your response. There are some fins on the pipes leading to the heat for the main floor in the basement. In addition there is one radiator in one corner of the basement.

[heatseeker]

I want to know who talked her into five minisplit systems. There should have been a better way to go but I am not there so tell us why not central heat and *

[Freon]

Where do you * I doubt the basement will ever get below freezing long enough to cause any troubles. Ground water is about 40 degrees F. As long as the boiler is running to keep domestic hot water available, I wouldn't worry. If you have water pipes near northwest corners, use pipe insulation as a precaution against the cold NW winds of winter.

[theradiator]

You can use one Radiator in a proper way and for more help you should call service man. You will get confused with different views of so many people here.