My wife and I are in the process of shopping for our first house. We found one that is almost perfect for us, but I'm a little worried about the furnace. It's pretty old, but looks very well maintained. The type of heat is listed as "hydronic" which means the furnace supplies the multiple radiators around the house. I have no experience with this type of furnace. Any information about them would be appreciated.
2007-03-26 05:12:41 · 2 answers · asked by Nessus 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Normally, hydronic systems have a boiler that heats water or produces steam. Hot water or steam will then flow through the piping and radiators to heat the house. I feel these are the absolute best type heating systems because they don't kick on and off with blasts of air. They make everything in the house the same temperature. This is easier on wood furnishings. They don't expand and contract. The downside is that you need a different (seperate) system for air conditioning.
2007-03-26 05:38:44 · answer #1 · answered by sensible_man 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Does the house have radiators or baseboard is it hydronic or steam? How do you get the domestic hot water ? If it is old more than 10 yrs. plan on changing the system. You should have a NORA qualified heating tech look at it not a plumber they don't go to school for heating. AFUE is how the gov. measures efficiency but its not for hydronic systems or steam unless its a cold start boiler. Ask how much oil they go through that will help tell you how efficient the system is. Average house high end oil consumption 1200-1600 gallons per year.
2007-03-27 09:32:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋