Theres educated consumers and then ............

Mike Kraft

I just got off the phone.A pleasant woman who needs to heat a building.The building is 60 years old,two stories and approximately 1500sq'/floor.The first floor she tells me has cast rads and no heat on the second floor.The first floor is steam.I'm not 100% sure thats correct but this is what I was told.I dont know if the heat is functioning or not.

She was given my name from a wholesaler that she inquired about the heating system.Her plan is to scrap the iron and install 2 90%+ NAT gas furnaces.1/floor.At that point I was already caving.I began to discuss the pros and cons but her mind is solid with the scorched.She told me that the scorched is more desireable over hydronics.

She is an artist.Stained glass.The one floor will be studio and the other will be classroom.The question of manual dampered ducting was asked......for zoning.She was also very interested in a heatloss and reckognized the importance of equipment sizing.I liked that very much.I pressed to look at her existing system.Which she told me her budget would not permit a hydronic system.She seemed thourghally convinced that hot water was not happening.

I told her how I felt and said that I would charge her to do a heat loss.I would also look and evaluate,suggest and explain the hydronic option.She felt that she could persue the internet and get the formula to do her own heatloss and that the scorched sytem was not rocket science.I told her of Heatinghelp.com and the Wall.Her remarks were not meant in a vicious way but rather in an assuming manner.I assured her that my occupation of 25 years wasnt rocket science but not any goober can install what we install.

I was and am a bit bewildered.She got quotes for furnaces and an idea of duct work cost from a DIY neighbor.I walked from this one.

cheese

Dan Peel

Good call !

Sometimes you just don't click. Isn't it great! Enjoy...Dan

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ed wallace

new system

good call mike now when the scorched air system does not work right she can blame her nieghbor why is it everone knows more about heating systems than the guys who install and service them ?

Bob Bona_4

crying

shame. What people don't know can make them uncomfortable. Similar situation here, took over a month to convince the HO to keep her rad's. The GC and the interior decorator told her that scorched air was "better". I told her to ask her gardener what he thought too;)

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eleft(retired)

spectators

Hey Guys,

Don't the spectators at sports events know more than the coaches and players.

Time wounds all heels .... or something like that

al

Online Sheriff \"Murph\"

ditto....

ditto!! hahahahahhahha loss for words !!

don_9

Hey Mike

Why not show her the price difference,she will be surpise
at how close the price would be compare to hydronic.

First she already asking for 90 plus and a zone damper system...so there a hint she is really sayin I want comfort and efficency but I think wetheat is out of the picture.Well here's a comparsion.

So lets say this is a 80,000 btu furnace,with zone damper
system to control two floors and all the duct work,also
its important to seal all the duct joint with mastic,to
prevent any air leaks.Pounds this in her head.Then tell
her how important it is to have more then one or two returns
because with air we have to keep it from becoming stagnet.
We have to create a circulating path,we are pushing air
that why you have a draft that why most people say that force air is uncomfortable,by now you really have her ear.
So then tell her that can be fix depending on the equipment
she chooses,and how you design the duct and the vents throw and location.

option one-90 plus furnace with zone damper system and properly design,seal air distribution system,Turnkey cost
is 12,800 dollars.

option two- For better comfort and less draft varible speed
90 plus two stage furnace,Oh yes mam this will control that uncomfortable draft,and with the throw and vent location that we discuss earier you will have much better comfort
with option two the total cost is $14,932.

I am pretty sure by now she will see that hydronic or getting that steam boiler back on line is with in reach.

Mike,Most of the time,and my neck of the woods thats the problem they think it's out of reach,But its not they need to understand that a properly design and installed force
air system can be just as costly has a wet system.

Mike Kraft

Don

My approach is just what you described.I pulled the same $ #'s as you!Her response was the furnaces would cost $625.00 ea and the duct work would be around the same per floor.Thats when I said you got the wrong man:)!

cheese

don_9

sorry mike

You were too polite,you forgot to mention that you had
a call from a cheap a..! I usally ask them if they ever
had anybody hang up on them for sounding so cheap,they
say well no I haven,t then I say well thank you for letting me be the first.
Bizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz