Best Of
Re: Oh boy...
Considering what the typical life of a car in the 1950s-60s was, modern cars still have them beat by a long shot. If we go back to the 20s-30s it'll become laughable.
1970s for both somewhat short engine / trans life and even worse (bad rust in 2 years?).
No wifi or connectivity on any of them.
ChrisJ
Re: Old house heating: Steam radiators or forced air?
@Hot_water_fan , I live in Baltimore and have hot-water radiators. They will only be removed over my cold, dead body.
In most cases, homeowners have very little input regarding what type of heat the builder installs. Mostly it's already there when they buy the house, and the money isn't there to upgrade given mortgage terms these days.
Re: Old house heating: Steam radiators or forced air?
It seems to me the original post needs to pick his tie breaker, whether it be cost, looks, comfort, future plans, maintenance cost, etc. At this point there doesn't appear to be a wrong solution in the runnings. Maybe someone could assemble the likely pros and cons into a list to consolidate things
Re: Oh boy...
My first car had drum brakes on all four wheels, and a single hydraulic circuit: an early '60s Mercury. My next cars had front discs and rear drums, then four-wheel discs.
I can assure you that disc brakes are entirely superior. That Mercury had a dangerous degree of brake fade.
bburd
Re: Oh boy...
I like having a new car, just not one that requires updates. The car had more HP before it's first update. Transmissions were being stressed. it is no longer the car that I bought anymore. It feels like a bait and switch.
SlamDunk
Re: Old house heating: Steam radiators or forced air?
Homeowners during different time have plenty of money to spend.
We always see posts on here about pool heaters…..that means they have a pool which is nice but not a necessity.
Heating systems to the average HO is not pretty. Its not like a new car, a pool, a deck, new golf clubs or anything else you can show off to your friends.
heating systems are a necessity but are looked on as a nuisence. People think nothing of plunking down 40k for a new vehicle every few years but heaven forbid the contractor wants 20k for a new boiler that will last 20 years.
Re: Old house heating: Steam radiators or forced air?
builders are building for the developer, not the homeowner. lowest cost is the only thing driving decisions.
no one is going to install new steam except a very few in the trade. there are many hydronic options that give the same benefits that are easier to install and control. It makes sense in most cases to modify and repair an existing steam system but there are very few reasons to install a new steam system.
mattmia2
Re: Old house heating: Steam radiators or forced air?
I don't know about the OP but I don't personally care what most people want.
I care about what I want.
That's why I told our realtor I wanted to see houses with steam heat and cast iron radiators.
If I didn't like radiators I would've looked at houses without them. As you said there's no shortage on houses with forced air so why buy one without it and then pay a fortune to change it?
ChrisJ
Re: Old house heating: Steam radiators or forced air?
There's another factor, folks… how many buildirs will even suggest anything except hot air? It's cheap, it's popular — just look at the Jones's down the street! It's easy to install (though not to install right). What's not to like?
