Hydronic is easier to zone, cheaper too if you consider the desire to have different temperatures in different zones. Forced air systems have crappy Indoor Air Quality. The air is dry unless you invest in a $5,000 Nortec unit. Ducts collect dust too.
Now that being said I am a proponent of ducted A/C systems and they also suffer from drawbacks, so here I go kicking myself. Go figure! Every situation is different I guess.
Just curious why the hating of forced air heat? Don’t have it, though was considering adding it to the central air so our usually cold upstairs could heat up more quickly until radiators kick in. Thoughts?
Convert to hydronic heat and use the existing air ducts to run PEX tubing to radiator, baseboard, radiant locations…It will cost some $$$$, but you get benefits in efficiency, zoning and most of all…COMFORT!!
Keep the ductwork in place if you do. It will make it easier to install central air at some point, by either you or someone down the line when you sell.
I hate my forced air too, but I’d never consider switching to steam. I would love to have radiant floor and hot water radiator heat instead. If you’re renovating the house, go for that. If not, you’ll probably find that the expense of the new hot water boiler and plumbing work throughout the house is overwhelming.
You can get a new furnace without spending a fortune or you can keep the old one going for a few hundred bucks a pop when you need repairs until the big reno.
I don’t hate it but it does have it’s drawbacks.
Hydronic is easier to zone, cheaper too if you consider the desire to have different temperatures in different zones. Forced air systems have crappy Indoor Air Quality. The air is dry unless you invest in a $5,000 Nortec unit. Ducts collect dust too.
Now that being said I am a proponent of ducted A/C systems and they also suffer from drawbacks, so here I go kicking myself. Go figure! Every situation is different I guess.
My 2 Cents.
-SteamMan
Just curious why the hating of forced air heat? Don’t have it, though was considering adding it to the central air so our usually cold upstairs could heat up more quickly until radiators kick in. Thoughts?
Convert to hydronic heat and use the existing air ducts to run PEX tubing to radiator, baseboard, radiant locations…It will cost some $$$$, but you get benefits in efficiency, zoning and most of all…COMFORT!!
Keep the ductwork in place if you do. It will make it easier to install central air at some point, by either you or someone down the line when you sell.
i will chime in with the hydronic conversion choir (tis the season)
You go to hot water.
I hate my forced air too, but I’d never consider switching to steam. I would love to have radiant floor and hot water radiator heat instead. If you’re renovating the house, go for that. If not, you’ll probably find that the expense of the new hot water boiler and plumbing work throughout the house is overwhelming.
You can get a new furnace without spending a fortune or you can keep the old one going for a few hundred bucks a pop when you need repairs until the big reno.
Nobody switches to steam. It’s not cost effective.
Why steam? Normally you would go to hot water.