Direct Vent Gas Wall Heater (houses, buyers, new construction)

[phvtran]

I am planning to have a licensed HVAC contractor install a direct vent gas wall heater/furnace with an output BTU of 30,720 in my den to heat up that room along with the adjoining dining room. The den does not get enough heat from the central furnace since it's the farthest room from the furnace.

Has anyone install this type of heating units and how effective are they in heating several rooms?

Will this wall heater/furnace be a positive or negative when it's time to sell my house?

[chet everett]

Unless it is the type incorporated into a fireplace surround / hearth they tend to be a negative -- appearance wise they have a very non- standard look to 'em and that immeadiatley gets buyers to worry about the safety and overall weather-resistance of the house...

I would strong encourage something that looks more like a fireplace instead of something that looks like something from a military outpost / trailer home...

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Unless it is the type incorporated into a fireplace surround / hearth they tend to be a negative -- appearance wise they have a very non- standard look to 'em and that immeadiatley gets buyers to worry about the safety and overall weather-resistance of the house...

I would strong encourage something that looks more like a fireplace instead of something that looks like something from a military outpost / trailer home...

I can't believe it, but I'm agreeing with Chet!

Instead of installing a separate unit, spend the money to have your HVAC guy do a thorough analysis and explain why those rooms are cold, and what your options are to get them warm. Perhaps those rooms need more ducts and outlets, or some other solution that doesn't involve an extra wall unit.

[yousah]

As an appraiser I see supplemental heating sources all the time. It's really no big deal.

It would be better if you could find a way to heat that room from you main HVAC source, but if that's your only option then it's not really a negative- especially if your present forced air system somewhat heats the room. That would leave your new system as an option for those who want to use it, or not.

[TempesT68]

I agree it sounds like an HVAC issue that needs to be looked at. A "cold room" is almost always a sign of problem with that, or perhaps a faulty window.
In a sound home, all rooms should be climate-controlled equally.

[chet everett]

I do not doubt that appraisers see the various decisions of home owners about how to address issues quite differently than potential home buyers. I have seen hundreds, maybe thousands when you factor in "tire kickers" at open houses and believe me ANYTHING that looks "non- standard" will raise concerns in the minds of shoppers. When yo see the look of fear that comes across their faces when the see anything lthat has the obvious combustion glow of a through-the-wall gas heater it is easy to understand why there is so much interst in new construction where the "mechanicals" are largely buried deep in the corner of a basement.

Even uf the OP can get a "fireplace / hearth" style supplemental heater I would urge them to not get a permanent heater at all. I agree that addressing the root causes of the failure of the exsting furnance to adequately meet the heating needs is a far wiser course of action. If it is determined that leaky windows, poorly sealing doors / patio sliders, lack of insulation , leaky ductwork or other such basic problems are responsible for the cold drafty room it is would foolish not to address those problems -- burning more natural gas will lead to higher utility costs going forward while fixing the kinds of "energy wasting defects" will make the whole house more comfortable AND lower ongoing utility costs...

[C. Maurio]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

I can't believe it, but I'm agreeing with Chet!

Instead of installing a separate unit, spend the money to have your HVAC guy do a thorough analysis and explain why those rooms are cold, and what your options are to get them warm. Perhaps those rooms need more ducts and outlets, or some other solution that doesn't involve an extra wall unit.

I agree. It would be money well spent. They can "zone" your house to keep all the rooms the same or program each zone how you want it. I have this because we had problems with keeping the upstairs and downstairs comfortable. One was too hot or the other too cold. I was going to get separate units for twice the cost until my HVAC guy told me about this. They came and separated the venting ducts feeding the first and second floors and put these electric shut offs in them and a main thermostat and temperature sensors upstairs, downstairs and outdoors. All 3 read out on the main thermostat and they keep things very comfortable.

[Lookout Kid]

While house hunting in Western Burbs, I recently saw a house with a supplemental heater in a family room addition. I have quite a bit of background in construction and HVAC, and I still did not like this. It just seems like a pain in the neck to manually control the heater. Today people just want to set their thermostat and forget about it. No one wants to futz around with a secondary heat source that isn't thermostat controlled. And it also looks like increased energy bills, because it won't be as efficient as your furnace.

[yousah]

The problem is that a lot of builders put in the smallest size forced-air furnace they could get away with for the size of a house. So when someone adds onto their house they realize that their existing furnace might not be able to heat the entire house. They find it much easier and cheaper to add supplemental heat rather than replacing the main furance that might not even be that old. That's why you see a lot of supplemental heat sources with additions.

If someone pay $30-40K for an addition it's a big deal to pay another $6-8K just for a furnace.

[chet everett]

Anyone that pays $6-8k for a furnance upgrade becuase of an addition is not much of a shopper -- http://www.gasfurnacepricesonline.ne...furnace-price/