HYDRO AIR VS WARM AIR FURNACE

STEVEN MARKS

A friend is building a new house. GC originally alotted for an oil fired warm air furnace and an oil fired water heater with a 5 ton a/c system. I recommended a boiler with baseboard heat and an indirect for hot water, 2 air handlers for a/c, 1 for 1st floor and 1 for 2nd floor. This was found to be to expensive, partly because the GC has only so many dollars figured in for HVAC. I then proposed hydro air. 1 oil fired boiler, 1 indirect water heater, 2 hydro-air units with a/c, 1st and 2nd floor. GC is still fighting this and I cant figure out why unless he sees money being taken away from him. I have tried selling owner on benefits from a boiler and an indirect and having 2 seperate zones. Anyone have any other ideas for selling job, benefits, energy savings?
Thanks Steven

Geno_15

speed is just a question of money

how fast do you want to go??

how good of a system do you want??

what you have recommended is better and is right, for what a new home costs today $250-500,000 dollars you should be able to get a decent system, the a/c system is the heart of the home, not the kitchen , baths or closets, what good is a $$$$$ home that you're not comfortable in????????????????

Jaitch

Benefits & Drawbacks

Benefits:
Heats hot water with indirect. Can install A/C right from the get-go. Can add humidification, air cleaning, purifying, etc, etc also. Can install basebaords, radiant tubing, and do zone specific stuff at a later date. (When he gets tired of scorched air a month after moving in).

Drawbacks:
it's a scorched air system.

"nuff said?

J.C.A._3

Geno Makes a good point !

Unlike the "jewelry" that goes into a home, the heating and hot water systems are not seen, thus not a high priority to the builder. These are REQUIRED SYSTEMS, not a player to be named later.This is the heart and soul of a new home. As ugly as it may seem to the builders, it is still necessary.

I would approach the HOMEOWNER and let them make the decisions. The contractor is full of bells and whistles for them, but is it in their best interest? Quality is priceless and what you're proposing is worlds better (and BTW less costly, in the long run) for the homeowner.

Focusing on price is one of the worst reasons for "settling" for what the general contractor thinks is best. If the home is being built for someone who'll be living there, it is our job to get in during the planning stages and show them how to get more bang for their dollar in the long term. (this is why the most prevelant form of heating in the U.S. is warm air...cost is king, but we're selling comfort and control that exceeds it by miles!)

This is just my opinion, but I also think we can show the buyers more options than they can get with FWA heat, and make their residence far more pleasurable to be in. Chris

P.S., Don't let them get away with "stuffing these most important parts into closets and alcoves".Just because the appliance says it needs this much clearance, doesn't mean it's a rule!!!! SPECIFY the room you'll need to do regular maintenance and repairs when necessary, and fight them to get it.

STEVEN MARKS

Thanks for all the reply's. I have been trying to convince him of all the benefits but its been a tough sell. 4 bathrooms and granite countertops seem more important.

ernie_3

how can you call a hydro air 'scorched air"? The hydronic coil has up to 190' water going through it. What's the difference between the heated air around a bb loop? Doesn't that also 'scorch' the air?

Jaitch

How can I call it that?

Well, anytime there's a blower or blower motor involved, the heated moving air, (IMHO) becomes a scorched air unit. There is no radiant effect to speak of. My wife keeps complaining about the cold spots, drafts etc that are created by the blowers in my hydro-coils, and it upsets me because I OWN A BOILER!. She sez "not like those nice big old radiatiors in the OLD house!" We inherited this system with the house, and am looking forward to getting some capital together to string some radiant tubing, and let the hydro coil become "second stage". It works for now, I guess - also I don't think this was one of the better designed systems.........

Also - if the HO in this case is really putting in four baths they're gonna need some quick recovery domestic hot water! The indirect must have it! Hot tub anyone? The indirect will keep up with the demand - PLUS heat the house.

J.C.A._3

WOW!

I guess you got all the bells and whistles with your assumed system.....But you're still thinking about installing some hot water and making the warm air a secondary system?(I also bet the better half has really gotten the best of you, God bless her!).

The inherant warm and cold spots are/is the best selling point of any heating system. Water wins hands down, when done properly.Now that the MRS. has spoken, you know what I mean. (BIG snicker...)

COMFORT. It is the bottom line.Now Smarks..Feed your head. This is what the pros are saying... Chris

STEVEN MARKS

It is my understanding that most of you feel 2 zones of Hydro air with a/c and an indirect is far better than 1 warm air furnace with an oil fired water heater.
Thanks for your reply's Steven

Ted_9

I think most of us would agree with that.

PATRIOT HEATING & COOLING, INC.

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jeff_51

could you perhaps?

do a high veolocity with only one unit???

jeff_51

we did a house

where the lady spent more on the wallpaper than all the mechanicals in the house. Wasn't a bad system, just real exspensive paper.

STEVEN MARKS

Jeff

Trying to sell 2 units for better comfort/control. This is a new house, would stick to single oil furnace before I went to high velocity. I have never been a fan and would only use high velocity if I was unable to install standard ducts.

ryan_7

hydro air

We have started selling hydro air in new construction where the customer wants a warm basement but does not want to spend the money on radiant for the main floor. Its easy then to suggest a water heater, floor warming and in one case baseboard in a bonus room. Its the best of both worlds. Radiant, floor warming, hydro air with humidification and air purification. And not to mention an uninterrupted flow of hot water!

Wayco Wayne_2

Just this Fall

we replaced an oil fired furnace with 2 hydro air fan coils, upstairs and downstairs, along with hi eff. A/C. It's all powered by a newly installed Buderus boiler, sitting on top of a Buderus indirect. The HO is very happy. His fuel bills are down, he has unlimited hot water, and he is more comfortable. The kicker is, he is one of my main GC's. I've made a believer of him by showing him where he lives. It wasn't a hard sell. He's a pretty smart fellow. WW

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