Hello all….I’m building a house in Kingston, Mass. on the ocean. I’ve gotten several opinions about how to heat and cool it from various contractors. The available energy sources are propane, oil, and electricity. I’ve been told that forced hot water by oil would be the best way to go for installation cost as well as efficiency. A separate A/C system could be installed in the attic space with duct work above. Someone also mentioned radiant heat. The house is 37×37, single story/full basement, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, with a widow’s peak/observation area in the center of the roof 11×11 with a spiral staircase running up to it. Does anyone have any feedback advice on this? Thanks……
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Mole, it is of my semi informed opinion that HW Radiant is the tits in an open floorplan, a vaulted ceiling or the combination of them.............open ceiling /open floorplan. We have found that the warm floor does a body right versus the usual collection of heat that seems to collect up high while you struggle to keep that warm air down on the first floor. Properly zoned and thermostated you will not be chilly on the ground floor while the widow sweats.
Best of luck on your project.
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Uh...., that ain't a mole hole. If you built one, you wouldn't need any heating/cooling system at all. (Voice of experience here.)
For that house, listen to Calvin.
Or maybe I mistook your name in English and what you really are is a Mexican delicacy?
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
An attic would be the worst place to install air conditioning because of the sweltering heat there. The unit would use a lot more energy due to the system and ductwork gaining heat from the attic.
If there's no basement, this would be the ideal place for the unit if the attic was made conditioned space by spray foaming the whole roof system and gable end wall, etc.
"The available energy sources are propane, oil, and electricity. I've been told that forced hot water by oil would be the best way to go for installation cost as well as efficiency."
Installation cost would likely be about the same for oil vs. propane, but oil is much cheaper to buy. Electric install might be cheaper, but operating costs would be much higher in MA. Most everyone who had electric heat at one time has since converted to another fuel.
Hydronics is the way to go regardless, and is very popular in the northeast.
Thanks for your input Snowmon. I've gotten so many opinions here. I agree that forced hot water seems like the way to go.