Krowbar

i was wondering whats involved in switching out my ducts to hot water baseboard. my hot water is oiled fired stand alone .thanks

TimNJ

If you have central air you will still need your duct work. More details.

Krowbar

no central air, this is a semi old house 1947. furnace about 15 yrs old i just dont like forced hot air. thanks

TimNJ

I don't like forced air either but you are going to spend some serious $$$ if you want a quality baseboard job. Depending on the size of the house you will want multiple zones for comfort and efficiency. If you are ripping out the old duct you should be able to use those chase areas to run supply and return lines so that will save on some demo work. 1947...safe to assume plaster and lath walls? The supply house should have some basic forms from boiler companies to do sizing for the boiler. All those valves, pumps, controllers, etc. add up to serious $$. If you plan on staying in the house for a long time it would be worth it for personal comfort though. Go to HVAC posts and look up the thread about Heatway I think it was, and there is a post by "md" with the author's name of the book "Pumping Away". Buy that book and read it and understand it before you do anyhting.

747

Here is what you need. Some cooper pipe some copper baseboard and a hot water boiler. Assuming its a two level house. It could be two zoned. One zone upstairs one zone down stairs. If basement another zone. This means three zone a flow values on the furnace. You just need one circulator pump on the furnance good size and 3 thermostates if your going with 3 zones 2 theromostates if going with two zones. The question is running the cooper pipe. Could be a problem between the ceilings. The system needs to loop back to boiler. The easiest system would be a one level ranch like i have with a crawl space. I have cooper baseboard and yes forced air sucks. Also hotwater is cheaper then forced air why. Forced air your only getting heat when furnance is on. But a boiler cooper baseboard. A zone opens furnAnce fires up then water goes to baseboard. Zone closes furnance shuts off. But the baseboard is still giving off heat. Not sure on the price for your job. also a hotwater boiler last forever. Like mine is a weil mclain original to house 1963 still rocks. Like my plumber says we can get replacement parts so its not a problem

plumguy

I'll make a deal with you...I'll never try to teach someone to fly!!

747

Ok point well taken. But seriously in my crawl space the baseboard heat is just basically copper pipe doing a loop. I have a two zone system two white rogers zone a flow valves on the furnance and underneath a big red circulator pump. First zone is kitchen living room dining room and den. Second zone are the bathrooms and bedrooms.

TimNJ

Man, I spent about $5000 repiping my boiler after the boondoggle that Heatway designed for me. Of course that was figuring in my own labor at 10 cents an hr too. One Spirovent costs $250. All pumps, no zone valves. Two zones of radiant, three zones of baseboard, and a BoilerMate. 747, pickup that book mentioned above. There is a whole lot more to hydronic heat than the way your system is set up.

747

Oh really i didn't know that. I do see newer systems have like little circulator pumps multiple ones. Sounds like yours is a combo radiant floor cooper baseboard system if it is that alot more money because of the radiant floor. But seriously my furnance is just a furnance a red circulator pump which the bearings had to be replaced in above that a hydronic air tank which pressures the system two white roger zone a flow valves sitting on top of copper pipe which goes down and under floor and vent which goes through the roof and thats it. I have seen on homeimprovement shows like a piece of plywood mounted on a wall with all kinds of small circulators mounted on and other workings for the system that is completely different then mine. Cooper baseboard isn't cheap. I did ask my plumber how much to replace furnance he said 2800. I did ask about a furnance which would make hot water heat plus hotwater for domestic use he said those are awesome.

TimNJ

747, If you are in the market for a new boiler then you definitely want to read that book "Pumping Away". You can really crank up the efficiency factor by doing what that book says. It is a small paperback and reads really easy. Written in laymans terms. If you aren't ready for a new boiler, still buy the book and you will be glad you did.