what kind of heating

Unknown

I don't know if this is the right place to ask this question but I am tearing my hair out trying to decide what kind of heating to put into my older 2 story home. I used to have gas, but went to electric wall heaters (electric co paid for my insulation if I went to electric). I have never in 15 years been happy with the heat. I used to have a wall gas furnace, but that wasn't good either. With the wall heaters I sit on the floor in front of them and am too hot on the heater side and too cold on the other side. I would just love to be able to walk around my house in the winter and feel an even, warm heat.

I have been looking into a heat pump as it would be nice to cool the house too (in Wash. state we don't get a lot of too hot days but we do get some)but I've talked to some people who say they don't feel warm enough with it, plus the noisy machine outside, etc. (I've talked to others that love it though).

I don't really want to go back to gas (say...a gas furnace with duct work) because I do worry about the house blowing up. :P But these electric wall heaters just aren't cutting it. My upstairs and kitchen don't have any heat at all.

Any suggestions??? I can't afford anything too extravagant so I want to be sure I make the best decision for my house. Thanks in advance.

Gary Fereday

Click on \" Find a Contractor \" upper right of the home page

Of this site and do your self a favor! bigugh

Frank_5

Heating your house

There are a lot of options, but the best job for the least cost is hydronic. Basically that's a boiler heating water, and pumping the water thru fin tube baseboard panels. There are a few mfgs to choose from. This type of heat will produce an even comfort zone in each room. No hot or cold spots when installed properly. That same type of heating can be accomplished by using convectors with a monoflow loop. Those heating elements are installed in a steel cabinet that can be recessed into a wall, or free standing. (not much on looks that way) For more $$$ there is the cast iron baseboard. Cast iron will "hold" the heat after the hot water stops being pumped through it. The fin tube will chill off almost immediately. In the long run you would probably save some bucks on fuel cost with the cast iron, but the initial lay out is much more. All of these systems can be fueled by oil or gas.. As far as "blowing up"; a properly installed NATURAL gas system is pressure tested to 3X the working pressure of the gas in the system. NATURAL gas is as safe as fuel oil. There is no storage tank to make room for, and no deliveries to worry about if there is an accumulation of snow. Also tanks won't last forever and the oldies have been known to leak. If there is no NATURAL gas available, use oil. I wouldn't have propane anywhere in or near my house. That gas is just too unstable for me to sleep at night. Another option is a warm air furnace that can be adapted with an air conditioning coil. That requires duct work throughout your home, in each and every room. That usually is the most efficient way to heat a home, but can be noisy, and have hot and cold spots, in addition to being a very dry heat requiring a humidifier to be installed. Suggestion: speak to a neighbor about which fuel they use, what type of system, perhaps call your local NATURAL gas utility company for an estimate, or click on "Find A Contractor" link on these pages.
Good luck.

John Ruhnke1

Hotwater baseboard heat.....

dd,

I would install hot water baseboard heat. It is the easiest to install into a existing home. If you run pex you can snake the pipes through the walls like electricians snake wires. You only need to make a few small holes here and there. The boiler could go in a closet or better yet the basement if you have one. It is also very very comfortable if installed right. You can install the baseboard in every room. You would have three heat sources to choose from, oil gas or propane. Make sure the installer does a heat loss and knows what he is doing. Go to "Find a Contractor" on this site to find a quality installer. I converted a couple of apartment units once. They had just a stove for heat. We installed baseboard into all the rooms. They loved it, it was a huge improvement over what they had before. I have baseboard heat in my house and it is comfortable.

JR

To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

tcutler

Heat

> I don't know if this is the right place to ask

> this question but I am tearing my hair out trying

> to decide what kind of heating to put into my

> older 2 story home. I used to have gas, but went

> to electric wall heaters (electric co paid for my

> insulation if I went to electric). I have never

> in 15 years been happy with the heat. I used to

> have a wall gas furnace, but that wasn't good

> either. With the wall heaters I sit on the floor

> in front of them and am too hot on the heater

> side and too cold on the other side. I would just

> love to be able to walk around my house in the

> winter and feel an even, warm heat.

>

> I have

> been looking into a heat pump as it would be nice

> to cool the house too (in Wash. state we don't

> get a lot of too hot days but we do get some)but

> I've talked to some people who say they don't

> feel warm enough with it, plus the noisy machine

> outside, etc. (I've talked to others that love it

> though).

>

> I don't really want to go back to gas

> (say...a gas furnace with duct work) because I do

> worry about the house blowing up. :P But these

> electric wall heaters just aren't cutting it. My

> upstairs and kitchen don't have any heat at all.

> Any suggestions??? I can't afford anything too

> extravagant so I want to be sure I make the best

> decision for my house. Thanks in advance.



One question you need to ask is how long are you going to stay in the home. If your answer is for more than ten years.The only way to go is a radiant system. The upfront cost is higher but you will achieve the highest comfort level with the lowest fuel bills. The boiler! I would install a boiler with full outdoor restet. Large mass boilers are recommended for a radiant system. But there are some others on the market that are high efficient gas boilers that have a direct vent that can be installed in a closet and do not need to be vented into a chimney.Make sure the burner has full modulation.Also make sure you get a qualified contractor to complete the job. (I can help if you would like)
The interest rates are so low right now you can get the higest comfort level for the lowest$$$$$$

Tcutler

John@Reliable

What type of heat?

Hi DD, I for one read your post you said> 1. Don't want to go back to gas that's out. 2. Heat pumps ????????? 3.Don't want to be extravagant I guess radiants out. That leaves you with one very good choice a oil fired boiler with baseboards that can have one zone downstairs and one upstairs and also can heat your hot water.Yes you will need a tank,but tanks today are not like tanks from years ago they are bottom supply and will last a long time.Plus with oil you can decide who to buy from for good price and service Hope this helps Good Luck!

Boilerpro

Hot air heat efficient??

With forced air there are ductwork leaks, heat loss from the ductwork to areas not requiring heating, and since the systems almost always pressurize some portions of the house and depressurize others, there is much higher outdoor air leakage than with most hot water heating, steam heating, or electric baseboard systems. Also ductwork designed and installed for efficient heating, will not provide efficient cooling because vent placements should be different and the size of the ductwork should be different. Forced air is usually cheaper to install, but far more expensive in the long run due to typically shorter equipment life (furnaces last about 12 to 15 years, boiler 30 years and more), more frequent repairs, and higher fuel usage. Just my thoughts.

Boilerpro

keith

Go with a

wallmounted, direct vent gas boiler and baseboard. You will get the best value for your money. In the long run my opinion is that if you spend a little more upfront your never disapointed in the long term. Find a contractor who will work with you to do the proper ground work before making any final decisions. Take a look at the options, benefits, recomendations and cost for installation and cost for utilities. Don,t be afraid of the gas volotilaty only the bills. Aroung here the gas company is proud of the product and charges accordingly.

leo g_4

you live in wash?

i don't know about your electrical rates, but i would think that they are comparable to BC's. if so, then an electric boiler combined with baseboard would be an option. right now up here, our electrical rates are on par with gas.

leo g