Converting Radiator Boiler to Hydro Air

Brad White_200

When someone says, "keep the radiators", I would listen.

They have served for years and will in all likelihood continue to do so.

It may well be, give the vintage of your house (1923) that your radiators are well over-sized in response to the Great Influenza, which prompted heating of homes with a few open windows.

What does this mean for you? Possible use of lower water temperatures to save you money.

Now, Hydro Air may still have a place but I tend to think that "cooling only" parallel systems may be OK. A common retrofit system is the "High Velocity Aspiration" type, marketed under the trade names Unico or Space Pak, among others. Small 2-inch diameter hoses and nozzles being used instead of larger ductwork. Less intrusive.

Bottom line? If at all possible Keep The Radiators.

Julie_6

Converting Radiator Boiler to Hydro Air

My husband and I just moved from California and purchased a 1923 Tudor in CT. It currently has a brand new enormous boiler in the basement that heats the radiators in the house. Its fuel source is oil. The house also has one other "zone" with baseboards that is heated off of the hot water heater. We are about to do a bunch of work to the house including adding A/C. One contractor suggested we convert our boiler to hydro-air and remove all of the radiators and piping thus allowing for heating and cooling. Another contractor said not to remove the radiators because for an older house this is the best kind of heat. Help! Coming from CA we don't really know what the right approach is. We like the idea of removing the bulky piping and radiators and having one heating and cooling system but are nervous that we won't get the same quality of heat this way. Thoughts?! Thank you!

Big Ed_4

Radiators

The three types of heat transfer are contact ,convection and radiant. Contact is like putting a pot on the stove. Convection uses air to transfer heat. Radiant is mass x temp. Where one heat mass heats a cooler heat mass. Radiant is the best and gives you the most comfort. The Sun is radiant heat. You from Cali may be sick of the sun

Hydro air is convection heat transfer and a radiator is part convection and part radiant. So radiators are a nicer heat sorce.

If you decide to keep them( are your ornate) power coating makes them shine. Any color.

Mike E_2

Another option for AC is to install mini-splits. www.mrslim.com is one example of them. This is what I did in my house.
I have hot water baseboard heat and a total of 4 single zone mini-splits to cover my 2 story house pretty well.

I actually put in inverter based heat pump mini-splits. They are much more efficient that conventional AC/HP. I run the heat pump in the shoulder seasons (like right now) when I just need a little bit of heat.

Brad White_202

That is also

a very good idea. See if you like how they look. They are very quiet and efficient, especially if you go for the inverter-driven ones. Kudos for the heat pump option too.

tim smith

Another possible option, Keep the radiators as this is the best

heat you will find. Coming from California, you probably have always had air for heating. Radiant heat is a totally different feel. No air currents to speak of, reduced airborne dust, allergies reactions reduced. On the a/c side of things, maybe go to inverter type a/c with ducted compact air handlers, I have done this for a couple clients and they love them. Most efficient, don't have to look at the mini split indoor units in space ( most my clients would not go for those units), with the ducted units, you can hide them in different spots and have quiet zoned a/c for house and still maintain the radiator heat. PS, I just tore out my forced air system and went to radiant floor heat and boiler over the last 5 weekends, it is a good thing... Tim