hydro heat vs hot air - whats the difference

Steamhead

will cause stacking in that kitchen. Baseboard is better, but the fin-tube variety works mostly by convection which also contributes to stacking. Cast-iron baseboard radiates much better than fin-tube, but will still cause some degree of stacking.

Radiant in-floor heat will be more expensive to install, but will run much more economically since it causes almost no stacking. It really comes down to "pay now or later".

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Susan_2

Are they the same?

Investigating the use of installing a hydro coil in the ac duct work to heat a kitchen with cathedral ceilings open to a loft. I've been reading from "THE WALL" that FHA systems are not a great option. But is a hydro coil the same thing and does it offer the same disadvantages?

Thanks, in advance

Steamhead

Hydro-air

doesn't subject the air stream to an extremely hot surface like you would have in a furnasty. The latter, by the way, gave rise to the term "scorched-air". But it still has the disadvantage of that moving air which can make you feel cold.

Since you're already considering hot-water, why not use in-floor radiant in that kitchen? That would be the most efficient setup with such a high ceiling.

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Dale

If you drive a car

you know about hydro air, cars all use the hydro air model for heat and cooling, most of us think it works pretty well. Hydro air is best suited IMHO where a really big house has the need for zoned heat and cool from just one heat and just one cool source. Water moves heat a long way in small pipes, long runs of duct work are much less effecient and hard to design. Some really big houses have many furnace rooms but that takes up alot of space, and long cold AC runs tend to sweat and be a mold issue. Of course for more $ radiant is available with a separate cooling system.

Henry_4

Hydro air also

> Investigating the use of installing a hydro coil

> in the ac duct work to heat a kitchen with

> cathedral ceilings open to a loft. I've been

> reading from "THE WALL" that FHA systems are not

> a great option. But is a hydro coil the same

> thing and does it offer the same

> disadvantages?

>

> Thanks, in advance

JackFre

The Choice

Warm air heat from either a gas fired or oil fired furnace has some issues. If I were going to put a system in my own house today I would choose hydro-air. Warm air furnaces (gas) are much better today than in the recent past in that you can get a multi-stage burner/blower and yu can get sealed combustion 95% efficient units. These are a bit more costly but really the only way to go when you take comfort, efficiency into account. Most furnaces are dreadfully oversized so you get that blast of heat followed by the cooldown/draft cycle followed by another blast of heat....and so it goes. discomfort. Because the oil industry will not invest in variable input/speed technology you get a single stage operation. Too bad!
Hydroair give some advantages. You can run a number of smaller more compact air handlers for zone control. The air handler can be located closer to the point of use, thereby reducing the amount/size of duct losses (about 20%). You can get variable speed air handlers, they are powered by the boiler.
Whichever way you go try the variable speed equipment. Basic theory is, attack a small heat loss with a small amount of heat with a variable speed blower.

Susan_2

Stacking effect

The hydrocoil will be placed in the ac ductwork which will be in the basement, and heat the room from the floor. Right now this room is incredibly difficult to heat, due to the cathedral ceilings, open loft,and not enough baseboards.

Will we still experience a stacking effect and have difficulty heating this area if we use the hydrocoil method?

Will we be comfortable with the hydrocoil or will we continue to have the same problems that we now have w/ hot water baseboards.

We know that radiant is the best option, but cost is always a factor.

eleft(retired)

Stacking effect

Susan, ....May I quote you and add my experienced 2 cents.

"We know that radiant is the best option, but cost is always a factor."

My 2 cents.... Cost with out Results you want is a total loss!!!

al

nick

I have hydro-air in a cathedral space that has a loft and the heat works very well with minimal stack effect. I think this is because of two design aspects: 1. there are returns high on the wall close to the ceiling that returns hot air to the basement handler, and 2. the supplies are on the floor. the 2d feature means the system works better for heat than AC, which suits the climate i am in, as there are only a handful of days where AC is needed. i think if your existing ductwork was designed for AC with supplies high on the wall it may not work well for hydroair heat.

ChrisL

Consider Wall panel radiators

If radiant floor is too expensive, replace the baseboard heat with some wall panel radiators. They radiate heat nicely, and would be a good 2nd choice instead of radiant floor.

Chris

Susan_2

to: eleft

Thanks to you, and all, for the 2 cents - could actually be worth more!!