Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've only had gas heat with hot water radiant heating through baseboards my entire life.... We are looking at a small ranch with large basement that has oil heat with forced air through vents on floor/walls. I've read that forced air is very dry/dusty and the most inefficient method of heating. Also read that it uses the same ductwork for central air so that could be a plus if we ever install that. Any experience/thoughts on forced air vs radiant heating?
I've only had gas heat with hot water radiant heating through baseboards my entire life.... We are looking at a small ranch with large basement that has oil heat with forced air through vents on floor/walls. I've read that forced air is very dry/dusty and the most inefficient method of heating. Also read that it uses the same ductwork for central air so that could be a plus if we ever install that. Any experience/thoughts on forced air vs radiant heating?
We have the same set up for heating. There should be a humidifier on the furnace that is supposed to diminish the dryness. Our house is very dry due to the hot air but, in terms of heating the house, we have zero complaints. Ours also seems to be quite efficient. Hope this helps.
There is nothing wrong with forced air. I'm a 'belt & suspenders' guy so I have radiant hot water heat (up and down, love it), forced air AC (up and down, split units) and just because I have the ductwork for the AC, I added electric heat for the downstairs. Plus I have 2 fireplaces. As mentioned, don't let it be a deal breaker.
Forced hot air is fine. I have had it for years after coming from baseboard.
Baseboard is preferable for many. It gives a more "even" heat to the house. Hot air is dryer, but that is compensated by the humidifier installed on the unit.
The big advantage of a hot air system is the ductwork can be used for central air conditioning.
There really isn't that much of a difference, even if you prefer baseboard. The advantage of being able to install CAC, however, tips the scales heavily in favor of hot air.
I don't like the way the hot air is unevenly distributed in a forced air system. Very much like AC you would be cold right under a vent and wish it were blowing harder when you're further away from the vent. It would be my last choice. When we renovated, we had all options and baseboard was most practical all around.
Be sure and have the system looked at and cleaned by a duct cleaning co., and replace your filter periodically. I bought an electrostatic filter, they come in adjustable sizes at Home Depot or Lowes, and all you have to do is hose it out or rinse in the shower, let it drain, and put it back. I run air through for a bit to make sure it dries. Its supposed to trap more than disposable filters, and lasts forever, you just have to wash it as described above.
If any of the previous homeowners were smokers, definitely get the system cleaned. If anywhere in the system the duct work has insulation on the inside of it, it may be saturated with smoke. This will leach out whenever air is passing through, and irritate anyone sensitive to it. The only way to stop this is to replace that insulation, or have it encapsulated with a special paint, that puts a skin over it, and seals it in. Our home was only 5 years old, but the original owners smoked like fiends, and we had to encapsulate the insulation to stop the leaching smoke.
I lived in 2 houses with forced hot air and hated it. It had an obvious on/off feeling to it that radiant heat doesn't, in addition to being dryer and dustier. It was not preferable for me in my house hunt. In a climate where you need heat 6-7 months out of the year, I'd pass on it.
A few observations. In duct humidification, particularly effective humidification, is a "relatively" recent development so people experiencing 20, 30, or 40 year old hot air systems, or ones without humidification, are not comparable. Also, decades ago, it was fairly typical to have one vent per room, which made for cold spots. A modern hot air system has multiple vents in each room, and perhaps dampers to regulate air distribution. If you like to turn the heat down significantly at night or when out, hot air brings the temperature up much more quickly, and if you use high quality filters and replace regularly the system will improve, not degrade, air quality. Drying your wet gloves and snow shoes is pretty handy too. The biggest downside from my perspective is (a) some limitations on furniture placement because of the vents, and (b) it is noisier than hydronic heating, though hardly noisy.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
