Finish duct installation or switch to hotwater?


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Old 04-12-17, 03:49 AM
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Finish duct installation or switch to hotwater?

Planning out the heating system for a new to me fixer upper I'm taking possession of in a bit.
The house is 2 story, large with natural gas heat on main floor (with electric baseboards still installed), electric baseboards on second floor and in basement.

The significant other and I are at a roadblock on if we want to go hot water or continue the ducting and put in a new furnace.

Forced air will permit central air to be installed (huge plus), but requires more effort to install ducts, increasing cost of install.
I know with hotwater heat, multi zones is a HUGE benefit, especially with a large place, but cooling would have to go with ducts or install wall mount ductless AC units.

Being that I don't have much experience with forced air designs, is there any sort of zone control available with forced air now (guessing dampers for ducts)?
 
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Old 04-12-17, 05:54 AM
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First you need to know if existing duct is large enough to support more ducts. What is the make and model number of existing furnace ?
 
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Old 04-12-17, 11:36 AM
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Skaggsje,

I need to aquire the info on my next visit to the house. I did not that the furnace was last inspected in 1989, so I am going to assume I am looking at replacing the furnace. From talking to the students renting the rooms, they use the electric baseboards on all floors, so guessing the furnace is may have failed and instead of repair, they opted to go back to electric.
As for duct work... It is assumed I would have to run a new trunk to the second floor from the furnace.
 
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Old 04-12-17, 11:43 AM
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Id do forced air on main level (gas furnace) then do ductless splits on the 2nd level (Heat pump) if its just a couple bed rooms and bath. Or a 2nd gas furnace just for second floor. Two story two units IMO.
 
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Old 04-12-17, 11:59 AM
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A second furnace would allow for two separate zones. Would still need to run some ducting to the second floor from the basement, as they do not build attics here to support furnaces.

The house is bigger than my place I had in the French River (2900sqft), less bedrooms, but bigger rooms (and a second living room).
 
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Old 04-13-17, 01:07 PM
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what rooms are on the second floor?
 
 

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