Five years ago I built myself a three bedroom house with baseboard heat, and no air-conditioning in the seacoast area of New Hampshire. I want to retrofit it with radiant floor heat and air-conditioning. I’m leaning towards the stadler climate control panels but am having trouble finding a contractor. I would like to add central air. Is there any way of installing the ducting painlessly?
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go to http://www.heatinghelp.com
click on find-a-contractor
or post your question on the "Wall"
you will hear from the very best in your area
The most painless AC ducting in a retrofit would be a hi-velocity system like Unico or SpacePak.
Thanks, I'll check into both of those.
Brian,
I didn't have too much time when I replied earlier.
Much depends on the size of your house and well as the layout. You can run conventional duct fairly easily in the basement with the registers coming up through the floor. If there is a second floor and the house is large enough, you can place a second air handler in the attic and have the upstair rooms conditioned by registers in the ceiling. That saves the problem of opening up walls or trying to hide tin in the backs of closets.
Hi-v will be easier to run, duct-wise, as you're looking at a main trunk supplying 2" ducts that then run off to feed the rooms.. The flexible 2" duct is obviously easier to snake through stud or joist bays in a remodel...but hi-v systems can also be more expensive.
The hi-v outlets are less obtrusive visually, a 2" round hole vs a 4"by14" hole in your floor, wall or ceiling for cinventional. Plus, when you have rfh and get rid of the baseboards, it's a shame to then muddle the floor with conventional ac registers.
Thanks,
I'll look into that system. I've already had the guy draw the radiant floor plans up so I'm just waiting for the contractor to install the rfh. 2" ducts sound like something my wife w'ont complain about to loudly.