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We went out to the county to see a charming little property with a house of 843 square feet, rather open and with a wall furnace (Cozy) and 2 window air conditioners. Well, I am totally unfamiliar with a wall furnace but have had warm morning space heaters and central heat. I did some research but still it seems like these things are dinosaurs although less expensive to maintain and replace. Looked like without ducting, you would end up with more heat than with central heat for the same amount of fuel. As far as window air, I have seen a lot of people adding window air that have central heat because of the cost of electricity and also adding those unvented wall heaters because of the cost of natural gas. So, maybe many will step back in time to the older versions as we seem to go backwards because of the economy?
The biggest concern I would have is distribution of heat -- unless the place is ultra -insulated and has some means of dealing with temperature balance I would really be concerned that the bathroom is gonna be really had to keep warm / cool...
There is no way that an wall furnance / space heater is as efficient as a modern sealed combustion type forced air furnance or condensing boiler type set up but with under $1000 sg ft I can imagine that fairly good insulation might keep fuel bills fruits modest.
I should have mentioned the house was built in about 1935. It is solid and updated for the most part. In the older houses, it is not uncommon to have to use a little heater in the bathroom. I love old houses. I know that if we resold it later that it would make sense to add the central heat/AC unit. Insulation would be crucial - learned that the hard way! House has lots of shade so the AC is not of great concern. We have had such strange weather which makes such things a hard call also. Thanks.
For the air conditioners, one thing you might want to consider would be ductless split systems. Ductless split systems have efficiencies comparable to central air conditioners (13 SEER or higher) and are much more efficient than window units.
Also, many ductless split systems are heat pumps, which can be used for heating when it isn't too cold. Heat pumps are a lot more efficient than a wall furnace. Some of the newer units with R-410a refrigerant can be used for heating when outdoor temperatures are as low as 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ductless split systems (assuming two rooms) will cost more to purchase than a central AC unit, however, unlike central AC units, there is no need for the installation of ducting, saving money overall.
Last edited by Pink Jazz; 10-07-2012 at 06:04 PM..
Central heating and insulation not to mention cold Kansas winters existed in 1935 too.
Not installing central heat was a CHOICE.
Central heat in 1935? A boiler? Is that central heat? I have seen some of those. A lot of houses here do not have central heat and/or air. The warm morning stoves are still popular as are those ventless gas heaters and you can buy them locally with ease since many shops carry them. Many of the older houses built during that time period were built on the site with a lot of thought as to which side gets the sunlight, the wind, the shade. They were practicing passive solar design long before it was termed that!
FYI, if you decide on a split system ductless heat pump, also consider replacing that wall furnace with a unit that is more efficient for situations where it gets too cold for the heat pump. Some new wall furnaces have an AFUE of at least 80%, which is comparable to some lower end central furnaces.
location, central ky. so cold!
old house , late 1800's
decision, empire's 35k btu units for downstairs, two for three rooms, and upstairs, one for two rooms.
or
a 100k btu standard on the floor in corner of downstairs middle room, ducting to other two rooms as well as two vents going to upstairs two rooms.
what to consider? costs are same as far as quotes on the two I have received.
Gravity wall furnace is the way to go for backup heat
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnywhereElse
I did some research but still it seems like these things are dinosaurs although less expensive to maintain and replace. ... unvented wall heaters because of the cost of natural gas. So, maybe many will step back in time to the older versions as we seem to go backwards because of the economy?
Is that 'cozy' a gravity wall furnace? Those will which work even during a power outage, but don't forcibly move air around so aren't as good for heating a whole house.
I wouldn't say wall furnaces are "backwards", just less popular because they don't look as nice and take up valuable wall space. And while unvented wall heaters are efficient, people are nervous about the health impact. IMHO, direct-vent is definitely the way to go.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pink Jazz
FYI, if you decide on a split system ductless heat pump, also consider replacing that wall furnace with a unit that is more efficient for situations where it gets too cold for the heat pump. Some new wall furnaces have an AFUE of at least 80%, which is comparable to some lower end central furnaces.
If you figure on 15-30% loss to ducting, that's better delivered-BTUs-per-dollar than a central furnace.
In areas where it can get too cold to efficiently run a heat pump, a gravity wall furnace gives backup heat for cold days and also for power outages, but at the cost of slightly lower fuel efficiency, around 70% AFUE.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fitchdude
location, central ky. so cold! old house , late 1800's.
decision, empire's 35k btu units for downstairs, two for three rooms, and upstairs, one for two rooms.
a 100k btu standard on the floor in corner of downstairs middle room, ducting to other two rooms as well as two vents going to upstairs two rooms.
Personally, I would go with a mini-split heat pump as my first choice, Kentucky should be warm enough for this to be the best long-term economical choice. Otherwise, The 100k standard unit is probably going to be better for resale value.
For wall furnaces, I wouldn't focus on Empire, there are other makes on the market with different features. When you say "one for two rooms" are you talking about a dual-wall model or just natural air movement?
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How many rooms?
