Quote:
Originally Posted by TN Lily
I realize that cooling means forced air movement. And I've realized that natural gas with a boiler system & radiators is likely the only way to go with radiant heat from a operating cost perspective ---- assuming one can pay the initial cost to install. Radiant floors have zero appeal to me.
We're likely going to buy in SW VA. There are areas with natural gas service, but not lots.
Thank you for the responses.
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It does not matter if you have a limitless budget and want to build a "dream home" or if you have a modest budget and just want to find an affordable place to renovate for retirement, decisions about how to heat the place are very very very far down the list!
The CLIMATE of the area you are considering has a much bigger impact on heating bills! If you are shopping in an area where there are few days below freezing that is a very different range of potential heating sources than an area with harsher climate.
Once you settle on an area and understand its climate you should spend some time evaluating the impact of proper INSULATION AND WEATHER SEALING upon the homes' utility costs -- different climates require different approaches to insulation and ventilation. Spending money getting that right is the NUMBER ONE way to ensure both comfort and budget minded operation!
The other HUGE factor is the STYLE of the home -- a home with huge cathederal ceiling has more volume of air to heat and cool than a more modestly scaled home. Homes built on slab are going to have very different thermal characteristics than those with a full basement or even an accessible crawl space. The use of well designed windows and appropriate landscaping have a remarkable impact on how comfortable a home in hot or cool weather.
Way down the list one can evaluate the use of electricity or natural gas or propane. The relative costs of heating with piped natural gas tend to be considerably more economical than other options, though in some areas there are compelling reasons to go with electricity or tank propane.
Once one has a handle on the fuel options the very minor detail of having hydronic heating, of which underfloor heating is proven to be the most unobtrusive, almost certainly should be considered for anyone building a new home. In some situations it is a good option for retrofitting an older home too. Most existing home do rely on forced air systems -- the skills to install such a system are easily found and the speed of installation is hard to beat, combined with ease of integrating heating and cooling this makes for a very cost efficient option.
Electric radiators are generally NOT desirable. High operational costs, weird "toaster effect" and similar issues make it a poor choice if there are other options.
Modern hydronic radiators are popular in Europe mostly because of the tradition of steam heat. The building styles of both single family homes and commercial residential apartments are geared toward such things but as far as truly efficient and flexible use there are better options.
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Total "cart before the horse"...
All resistive electric heating systems are equally efficient at turning money into heat
Electric wall panels are nice if you just want a little more heat in a room that wasn't properly engineered originally, like a bathroom that feels a bit chilly in the middle of winter. They look nice, but even the best designed electric wall panels tend to dump a fair amount of the heat into the wall itself instead of warming you up.
