Big victorian needs heat and (maybe) AC


  #1  
Old 07-12-03, 09:06 AM
fu22ba55
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Big victorian needs heat and (maybe) AC

Hi,

We have just purchased a 1905 victorian in RI (I know - what were we thinking?). We are rehabbing the whole house including:
-new roof (stripped all the way down)
-new windows
-2 new bathrooms (new rough in plumbing)
-4 rooms need plastering, the ceilings are caving in
-Updating electric while we are tearing apart walls.
-Finally, repainting house and refinishing all the hardwoods

Here's where we need your help: Since we are redoing so much, it seems that we should pay attention to the heat. Currently, the heat is one giant loop (once used to heat a 3 car garage too!). Was apparently once a gravity system. It is now forced water radiators, no steam.

The house is 2 1/2 floors and about 3100 sq feet of living space. The house is oil heated and there is no AC. The furnace is ok, not great - about 10 years old. I have had contractors in to see if we could zone the heat system and their answer is NO!

The people we bought the house from had the heat set at 76 degrees 24 hours a day (elderly parents) and bought 1400 to 1600 gallons of oil each year. Average temps are 20-30 in winter and 80-90 in summer, tho muggy too.

My husband would like AC, but its not necessary. Zoning would be really nice too - its just the 2 of us right now and we both work a lot. We have gotten all sorts of advice - such as install spacepak or unico minivent systems. Some people tell us to rip out all the radiators and install baseboards or install central heat/ac. Others say we should just leave it the way it is, that this system is very efficient - just to replace the windows and insulate and maybe update the furnace. Oddly it seems that the advice coincides with the specialty ;-( of the advice giver. We would like to avoid baseboard cuz it wouldn't look right in this house. We have gotten estimates between 12-18k to revamp the system and under 4k to just update expansion tanks and move some pipes around.

What I am looking for here is some advice from people who know what they are talking about, yet aren't looking to make money off the deal.

Is it worth tearing out the existing system? Will we really save so much in the long run? One contractor told me zoning won't save any money - its just a comfort thing. Is that true?

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.
 
  #2  
Old 07-12-03, 10:45 AM
Ed Imeduc's Avatar
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Location: Mountain Williams Missouri
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Hot water

MY $0.02 here

When you dont see the job or dont have a print its hard to say for sure what and how to do a job. If you like the old radiators and sounds like they go with the home keep them.you could sand blast them and get all the old paint off and repaint them.I cant see why or how they say no zone set up. Why cant they repipe it for zones I would. 2 1/2 floors Id zone it by floors and you could put some insulation up there in the joist and I dont see why it wont save you money.
The new oil boilers they have are good or you could just get a new oil gun for the boiler you have. Pumps go out but old boilers just stay and stay

With the new ele. you could pull wires for plugin window AC units at some rooms

The plaster Id dry wall the rooms and put a knockdown on it.Or they do have whats call a sand coat that can go on the dry wall ED " have fun --- been there"
 
  #3  
Old 07-13-03, 11:31 AM
H
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Massachusetts
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Space pac

Home stinks no matter how pritty it looks on the outside if your not comfortable inside! Typically Victorians have balloon framing and these type structures are best suited for The Unico Space Pac, I think This Old House did one on the Old North Church or something like it..using this high velocity style unit. As for the radiators...sand blast the paint off them and I think an aluminum type paint is used to keep them from rusting, the foremost authority on steam is Dan Holohan at heatinghelp.com
 
 

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