radiator alternatives
I am wondering about heating alternatives for my 2 family brownstone. Currently, it has the standard radiators throughout. I am renovating, but it is not a gut renovation, my goal is to keep the original floors and most of the walls intact (mechanicals are in good condition). I’ve been looking into heating and cooling systems…
I am wondering about heating alternatives for my 2 family brownstone. Currently, it has the standard radiators throughout. I am renovating, but it is not a gut renovation, my goal is to keep the original floors and most of the walls intact (mechanicals are in good condition). I’ve been looking into heating and cooling systems but would like a sense from people who have done this how about the quality and the level of demo reguired. Thanks!
heat rises. radiant is best on the floor or in the form of baseboards. Runtal Radiators (hot water radiators, instead of steam radiators) are nice.
OP here –
Thanks for the input.
Has anyone used radiant wall heating?
I’d really like to keep my original floors intact. And it seems foreced air might not make sense.
We are putting in central cooling and heat as part of our gut renovation. Its already a pretty fat expense and aggravation and we’re doing a major gut. If we were not doing that already, I can’t say I’d recommend it.
That said, you don’t have to do a dry forced heat..you can replace radiators with hydronic heat that goes through your vents rather than coming from each radiator.
Think carefully before you lose your radiators and install forced air systems. Radiators (especially hotwater) are part of a hydronic system and offer many advantages over forced air systems. They are also much more comfortable. Radiant floor systems may be the only system that are really better in terms of comfort and fuel efficiency.
It might be somewhat easier to install a cooling system only separate from the radiators, but I think that too will require some breaking of walls.
If you have a steam system, a tune up from someone who really knows about steam systems may go a long way. If you do not like the look of your radiators, you can get ornate antique ones or then the panel radiators (Runtal is one company) with TRVs on them.
Go to http://www.heatinghelp.com. It’s a great site.