Hydronic Vs Forced Air Heating And Cooling
|
Hydronic, or hot water, heating has been standard for years in many parts of the U.S. It is seeing a surge in popularity at present, mainly because of the increasing use of radiant floor heating, which is known for providing even, comfortable heat. Yet contrary to popular belief, not every home in the free world needs hydronic heat to achieve this level of comfort.
Apples to Oranges
Hydronic heat is sometimes touted as more comfortable than forced-air heat. But since the typical hydronic system is significantly more expensive than the typical hot-air system, especially if cooling is included, this is an apples-to-oranges comparison. Customers willing to invest in a quality hot-air system, rather than a bare-bones package at the lowest price, will find that forced hot air can be as comfortable as hydronic heating. Unfortunately, if the heating system is hot water and the home owner doesn't spend the extra up front to cool their home, their finished home may be still too expensive to add the cooling system later and probably imposable to even install without doing even more expensive and inconvenient remodeling to accommodate such an install. Or the homeowner may have to add a window air conditioner instead to each of the rooms in the home. Another system maybe a ductless system that is not as efficient as the central split system design on a standard forced air install.
The least expensive forced-air system usually includes a single-stage furnace with a single-speed blower motor. The entire house is ducted as a single zone, and therefore has just one thermostat. If the system is sized by a contractor who uses a rule-of-thumb formula to estimate heat loss and heat gain, the homeowner can end up paying higher-energy bills for a noisier, less efficient system that provides uneven temperatures from room to room.
A quality forced-air system would probably include a Coleman two-stage furnace with a variable-speed blower motor.
The house would be separated into several zones, I recommend Arzel Zoning Systems, with separate thermostats, and the air would be distributed through well-sealed, insulated ducts. In many cases, such an upgraded hot-air system will still cost less than a hydronic system.
About The Author
Daniel Gipe is President of Yours By Design Heating and Cooling, Inc. in Blaine, Minnesota. Website: www.ybdhc.com
|
|
|
Ladder Safety Tips
One of the many tools that home owners use regularly is a ladder. Whether you need to change the porch light bulb, clean the gutters or put something in the top of the closet. You may need a ladder to get the job done!While ladders seem harmless enough and they are useful tools, accidents can still happen if you don't follow some simple safety tips. You may be shocked to hear that each year; more than 400,000 people are injured from a ladder accident and end up in the emergency room or doctor's office. Some injuries are as minor as cuts and scrapes while other injuries have resulted in broken bones or worse.Below we are going to share some safety tips with you to ensure that you are properly using your ladder to get your chores done!1. Before using the ladder, inspect it and...(related: Home Improvement)
Securing Your Castle
In the world of today, we no longer employ the moat, drawbridge or 30 foot high walls as security devices. However, if we know the correct methods and devices to use, we can attain better security than those devices afforded.Our first line of defense, is to be aware of our surroundings. Your neighborhood may be in an urban, or suburban area, it may be an apartment building or a gated and guarded community. Each of these environments has it's own unique challenges, but all share one common factor, there are other people living close by. If you and your neighbors are familiar to each other, this in itself is a defense against intruders. Your degree of interaction can range from complete avoidance to acti...(related: Home Improvement)
Planning Permission And Building Regulations For Conservatories In The Uk
Do I need planning permission for a conservatory?Do I need Building Regulation approval for a conservatoryTo help you understand these issues I detail below some of the "...(related: Home Improvement)
Shopping For Carpet
The allure of carpet lays not only its soft and luxurious texture, but also in its ability to enhance and match ...(related: Home Improvement)
Remodeling Your Kitchen
Remodeling a kitchen is one of the best investments a homeowner can make. For most homeowners it is the most important room in the house. It is used for cooking, eating, and gathering, and is typically a focal point in the home. Consequently, though a great investment, a kitchen-remodeling project can be very disruptive to the family. And the length of the disruption can take as long as two or three weeks.The Planning Stage<...(related: Home Improvement)
The Four Major Types Of Air Filters
Hygienic air is essential to human life, and in this modern age, that requires air cleaners. There are a few different methods of air cleaning, like Filtratio...(related: Home Improvement)
Sliding Glass Door Replacement
This article is going to be about replacing an old sliding glass door with a modern Vinyl frame sliding glass door. If you currently have french doors and you want to replace them with sliding doors, or vise versa, future articles will cover that topic.T...(related: Home Improvement)
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Home Theater ? Without Spending A Fortune
So you've scraped and saved, now you've finally gotten together a semi-respectable home theater system. You want even more, but the idea of spending another few thousand on new front speakers doesn't cut it. What can you do?There are ways to get the most out of what you have without breaking the bank. There are several areas you can look at to ensure your theater is set up correctly and performing at its best.Cables and Interconnects ? It's imperative the signals are transferred from your source components to your speakers, going through various c...(related: Home Improvement)
Reduce Your Heating Bills This Winter - Overlooked Sources Of Heat Loss In The Home
Imagine leaving a window open all winter long ? the heat loss, cold drafts, and wasted energy! Well if your home has a folding attic stair, a fireplace, and/or a clothes dryer, that may be just what is occurring in your home!These often overlooked sources of heat loss and air leakage can cause your heat pour out and the cold outside air pour in ? costing you higher heating bills, causing cold drafts, and wasting energy.Air leaks are the largest source of heating and cooling loss in the home. Air leaks occur through the small cracks around doors, windows, pipes, etc. We apply caulk and weatherstripping to these areas to minimize heat loss and cold drafts.But what can you do about the three largest "holes" in your home ? the folding attic stair, the fireplace, and the clothes dryer? Here are some tips and ...(related: Home Improvement)
Brighten Up Your Shelves With Picture Frames
Would you like to add a personal touch to your home or office, but not sure how? Picture frames may be your answer. Picture frames are a fun and simple way to add color, character and style.Decorating with picture frames is fun and simple. To add a splash of color to a shelf or mantle choose a series of similar frames in coordinating colors, such as three shades of green. To set a theme in the bedroom stick with one basic color and two or three styles of frames, such as silver or pewter antique-style frames. Or to make a dramatic statement on a wall choose one bold color, such as black or deep red, and identical picture frames, such as simple squares. No matter what l...(related: Home Improvement)
Expansion For Heat Absorption
In the refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant must undergo a change in state in order for the heat to be absorbed from the environment.The refrigerant has the property of changing its state from liquid to vapor at normal room temperatures.Have you ever felt your skin becoming cool whenever you put alcohol on it? Or even when a bit of petrol spilled onto your hands? It's because, the alcohol or petrol has evaporated when it comes in contact with your skin.The result - hea...(related: Home Improvement)
Building Wood Stairs
Building a set of wood stairs is not nearly as hard as you may think. With some basic wood tools and a bit of algebra you can easily build your own. Of course this can get a bit tricky for stairs with several landings but the method is still the same.This article will cover the steps for building a straight set of stairs. Chances are if you are reading this then you are still learning and won't be taking on a complex stair anyway.Now, we will assume that it is from a deck to a concrete pad. The...(related: Home Improvement)
Carbon Monoxide Can Be Deadly--early Detection Monitors Make It Easy To Protect Your Family
If you burn gas, kerosene, or wood in your home to produce heat for cooking or warmth, you need to monitor the level of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is odorless and can easily build up to dangerous levels. Ordinary carbon monoxide detectors don't sound an alarm until certain levels of carbon monoxide accumulate in the air. New monitors show the amount of carbon dioxide in the air at any given time, so...(related: Home Improvement)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved. | Home Improvement