When my HVAC system is heating the house, the basement gets super warm and everything in the picture gets warm/hot to touch.
I feel like the system is wasting a chunk of energy. Am I right? Should these pieces be insulated? Or is this part of the design?
FWIW, this is right by the system:
If I haven't missed my guess, this is a temperature sensor. Seems weird to have it so close to a system dumping heat into the room… Maybe not?
Should I insulate or leave it alone?
Best Answer
The "round sensor in the ceiling" is part of a fire alarm and/or ignition/fuel cutoff circuit for the furnace and is EXACTLY where it's supposed to be.
It's a "heat detector" (smoke insensitive, not prone to false triggering) and when things get too hot, it may (depending on what it's connected to) set off an alarm, cut off the fuel supply, or otherwise take action appropriate to having a furnace that is in thermal runaway (or on fire.)
Do NOT insulate that!
If you want to insulate the rectangular ducts, knock yourself out. If you are getting lot of heat off the round exhaust flue, you might want to contemplate a more efficient furnace; if you want that insulated, you may need to upgrade to (rather expensive) double or triple-wall insulated flue pipe to do the job properly/safely, and then you'll just be conducting even more heat you paid for outside than you are now.