Steam to hydro air

Biged

I have steam heat right now and will be converting soon to hydro air mostly because I need a/c. What are the pros and cons?

Steamhead (in transit)

Instead of doing that

I'd use a mini-duct system like Unico or Space-Pak for your A/C. These small ducts can be fished thru the walls so you shouldn't need ugly bulkheads. And the system can be optimized for A/C only since the steam could continue to provide the heat.

If you try to combine heating and cooling in the same duct system, the distribution will be wrong for at least half the year. This holds true no matter what the heat source is. And any kind of duct system will pressurize some parts of the house and depressurize others, which increases infiltration of outside air.

Finally, a well-operating steam system will give winter comfort superior to any forced-air system. This is because it doesn't blow the air around which makes you feel cooler.

Keep your steam. If it's not working well, it can be fixed. Go to the Find a Professional page of this site to locate someone who can do this. If you're in the Baltimore area, contact me.

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