Difference in cost between radiant and central heat (Lee: apartments, rent)

[squishy506]

I'm planning on buying a property in the next year or so, and I don't know if I should look for a property with radiators or not. I like having window unit air conditioning because I feel it's more efficient when no one is home.

I've always rented apartments with radiators with the exception of a few months I spent with a friend who had central air. I know that since water is usually metered per building, the HOA will charge for water (and essentially radiant heat) with my HOA dues. My question is whether or not anyone who has owned both a property with radiant heat and central heat noticed a difference in price between the two.

I plan on keeping the thermostat at 67 or so if I have central air, and I suspect since I like it so cool, I may be overpaying with the HOA dues if I were to buy a property with radiant heat. All winter I have had either one or two of the three radiators on, so my concern is I will be paying for my neighbors to have radiant heat. But will I still spend less overpaying the HOA than I would paying People's Gas?

[linicx]

It all depends upon the kind of heat you like. I have had base-board heat, electric furnace, radiator, gas forced air, and hot water heat. I have also had the combo furnace and air conditioning. In the winter each warmd different. Given a choice I much prefer the baseboard heat and window air because you only need it where you live. If I am asleep I do not need to heat or cool unused rooms except the bath. If I am awake I do not need to heat and cool bedrooms. .

The other half of the equation is how well the unit you rent is insulated. the size of the rooms, and age of X. Large rooms, not well insulated are hard to heat. Poorly insulated buildings can cost as much as 3x more to heat and cool. Old single pane windows and a 30 year old furnace is a receipe for a big utility bill. I say this because once the windows in my house were replaced, as was the furnce and air conditioner, and new insulation was installed my utility bill of over $300 dropped to $125, and even less when the furnace does not run in the spring and fall.

The coldest house I was even in druing the winter had heat registers near the ceiling. Since heat rises, I an sure the plaster was toasty warm, but the rest of the room was colder than the balls on a Civil War brass monkey that held them. .

[chet everett]

Not exactly sure what you question really is. From a very high level it is possible to have very efficient hydronic heat and equally efficient forced air heat. There are all kinds of modern buildings that have LEED certification with either.

The LEAST efficient kind of cooling system is a window unit! It uses far more energy and LEAKS far more air year round than any centrally installed system.

If you are considering buying a condo that has hydronic heat there are all kinds of questions that you should ask -- the age of the main "heating plant" can be crucial in determining both it baseline efficiency in burning fuel as well the likelihood that it will being nearing its useful life. Many older condos had to replace outdated oil fired heating plants with more modern gas fired equipment. If the reserves were not properly managed that could result in a large special assessment to all units.

The correct way to look at this is NOT "my neighbors will be freeloading off my desire to have less warm apartment" but to look at the history of the reserve funds / maintenance and general assessments -- if you do not have an agent to help you do this you can end up with nasty surprises...