Hydronic vs Forced Air Heating and Cooling

by: sakuraluna | Total views: 47 | Word Count: 367 | View PDF | Print View

 by: Daniel Gipe

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

sales@ybdhc.com

Rating: Not yet rated

Comments

Add Comment

Copy and Paste Article Code.

Remember: The article body, title, author bio and links may not be changed or removed. By publishing this article, you agree to all the terms in our Terms of Service.

More articles in this Category

1: A Brief Guide On How To Modify A Kitchen.
2: Choosing The Right Mattress For A Relaxing Sleep
3: A Guide To Hire General Contractors For Home Improvement
4: How to go about designing an office
5: Benefits of Central Air Conditioning Units