Should radiators be replaced by Forced air system.

radiatorheat24

My son recently purchased a home in Massachusetts that was built in 1753.

Unfortunately, a plumber before the house closed, increased the pressure so that radiators on the second floor would provide heat. 

Plumber stated all was well and closing took place several days later. 

When my son went to visit home after closing he discovered that there were many leaks that occurred due to the pressure increase and so we are now trying to decide what is the best solution.  

I would think that due to the age of the home that all the radiators and plumbing (change to Pex-Al-Pex) should be replaced or we
shift to forced air which will allow for air conditioning once ductwork is in place.

The first floor radiators provide heat but one does currently have a leak. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. As I understand oil heat was replaced with gas heat.

Thank you kindly.

delcrossv

Is this steam or hot water?

In any event, keep the radiators. You'll never achieve such even heat with forced air.

Pictures of the boiler and leaks would help. You most likely won't need to replace as much as you may think

LRCCBJ

This proverbial question frequently appears on HH. There is no "right" answer.

Forced air heating systems lack the "comfort" factor when compared to hydronic systems because they have no mass and no radiation. Within minutes of the Forced Air system shutting down, you will notice the room feel a bit less warm. This is despite the fact that the thermostat has not moved. Hydronic systems have the relatively massive radiator that continues to provide radiated heat after the thermostat hits the limit. It wins the "comfort" factor.

Forced air systems can easily accept air conditioning and they work quite well PROVIDED that sufficiently sized ductwork is utilized. This becomes quite a challenge on an existing dwelling as the size of the ducts that are required for satisfactory performance are relatively large. You'd need to find a way to get them from the air handler to the desired rooms. Sometimes an attic is utilized but this compromises the performance of the system due to the elevated temperature in the attic. Sometimes people will build separate chases and allow the duct to pass through the occupied rooms on the first floor to get to the second floor. Of course this compromises the look of the room. Sometimes, because they are incompetent, a contractor will run the ducts through the 2x4 walls so they are invisible. This is attractive to homeowners but the system will never perform properly due to the small size of the ducts. It is difficult to find a contractor who understands the need for proper duct sizing.

If the ducts are too small, you get the distinct displeasure of listening to the roar of the registers due to the excessive air velocity. I am sure you probably noticed this in certain forced air homes.

Forced air systems eliminate the "old look" of radiators. Some people like the new look………….some do not. The elimination of radiators certainly provides more wall space in most instances.

The cost of a completely new forced air system is significantly greater than maintaining the existing hydronic system even with the need to replace a couple of radiators. However, if you decide to go with forced air, you do get the a/c when you are finished.

I will say, from personal experience, that it is quite costly to live with a central a/c system. Due to the inevitable leaks and the transition of the ducts without proper insulation, the additional cost for electric is significant. Of course it all depends on electric rates. Here in CT, with rates at $.33/KWH, the central a/c system can add $400/mo to the tab in July and August.

That's the gist of the two systems. We report. YOU decide.

EdTheHeaterMan

If the plumber did not raise the pressure, and the heat was unable to perform properly, would you have closed on the property anyway? I believe there would have been some negotiation before closing that may have included a dollar amount at the least or installing a proper working system at best. Sounds like a certain plumber is about to get a call from a lawyer.

To the point of the question, I recommend radiator heat over ductwork heat any day.

Jamie Hall

1753? It's worth restoring.

Which pretty well eliminates the idea of forced air on those grounds — even if it were a good idea otherwise, which it isn't. As @LRCCBJ said, there is no way that you would be able to install even barely adequate ductwork without being very intrusive, never mind expensive.

And no, it can't go in the walls. Those walls are not built like modern walls.

First thing to do is to get the pressure in the system down to where it should be, and see how bad the leaks really are. Replacing the piping, if that is what is leaking, can be done fairly easily in most cases. Many radiator leaks can be repaired, and replacement radiators are available.

Then see what else the plumber messed up…

hot_rod

Is AC or indoor filtration, humidity control important? If so the FA does all that.

For comfort and nostalgia stick with radiators.

If it is a pressurized hydronic, the pressure needs to be adequate to lift water to the highest point. Usually 10- 12 psi is adequate for 2 stories.

If it leaks at 10 psi, that could be a big fix?

delcrossv

If you absolutely need central air, SpacePak and keep the hydronic. As noted above, trying to fit appropriately sized ductwork into a 270 year old house almost guarantees an aesthetic disaster.

SuperTech

It should be against the law to replace radiators with forced air in a historic home such as yours. I would never consider it. You will be destroying some of the historical significance of the home.

Forced air systems are not superior, they are just cheaper and easier to install.

Hot_water_fan

A baby step could be to add the heat pump for AC and heat and if that’s sufficient then remove the radiators. If it’s not, keep them and repair.

Ironman

Forced air will NOT heat an old house with solid walls comfortably. I’ve seen it happen before when people didn’t follow my advice and they removed the radiators and went with forced air. They were cold even when the the thermostat was set at 75* because the walls were still 60* and acting as a big heat sink.

Radiators heat the mass of the structure, including the walls, which in turn heats the air. Forced air does the exact opposite: it heats the air which in turn heats the structure. This is the reverse of a proper heating system.

There’s an article on here by Dan entitled “75 Degrees Cold” which explains this in more detail. I recommend that you read it.

The question still remains: is this a steam or hot water system?

pecmsg

keep the radiators as a backup and for when the NE wind is howling and the thermometer plummets.

Jamie Hall

I had assumed, @Ironman , it is hot water, as the OP said that the problem came about when the plumber turned up the pressure. But, you know on consideration, it could be steam and the plumber turned up the pressure and flooded the system. I hope not…

Steamhead

@radiatorheat24 , any updates?