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If you are in a temperate climate, like The Bay Area, looking into hydronic heating. I installed it, and would never go back to forced air. For some reason, i

If you are in a temperate climate, like The Bay Area, looking into hydronic heating. I installed it, and would never go back to forced air. For some reason, it's not popular on the west coast. It's so simple, a DIY'er could do the instal. My energy bill is down, and allergies are better. (I've noticed every store I have been in has forced HVAC, and I have a weird feeling forced air spread viruses. Plus--most retail stores have old systems. They might have slapped in some high mir filters, but I doubt they help with anything on old leaky systems. (To those interested in hydronic heating, buy Modern Hydronics, by Stegenthal? I'm too lazy to look up his last name, but his book is used as text books.

rocqua 5y ago
For anyone else wondering what hydronic heating is, it's using warm water as your main heat source. Either using radiators, or tubing in the floor to heat a room. This contrasts against the more common American method of using hot air to heat a home. I believe air heating is more common in the US because AC systems already require the relevant air ducting, so it's easier to install. Meanwhile here in NL airconditioning is very rare, and 95% of people use a gas fired water heater and metal radidators in rooms for heat distribution.
- baq 5y ago
  i would go as far as to say that nobody in continental europe knows the term 'hydronic', it's just heating, maybe central heating.
PoignardAzur 5y ago
TIL: - The term hydronic heating. - That most Americans don't have hydronic heating. That's so weird, here in France radiators are just ubiquitous. This is the detachable showerhead thing all over again. How do you people survive like that? You're supposed to be the highest GDP country in the world!
- kasey_junk 5y ago
  It’s because most AC systems require forced air, so hydronic is a second system. You’ll find hydronics in expensive houses that can justify the double expense or in colder climates where the heating benefits are more important than AC. Also everyplace I’ve lived in the last 25 years has had detachable showerheads.
- Kihashi 5y ago
  You'll find radiators in many older buildings (before about 1930 or so, at least in my area). Some are steam and some are hot water. The problem with them is that they tend to have higher maintenance costs plus if you wanted AC, you'd need to have a separate system, including ductwork. AC is relatively cheap to add to a house with forced air heating and quite expensive to add to a house with radiators. Mini Split AC systems are changing that somewhat, but they haven't caught on too well here. You can also find baseboard heating, but that tends to be electric and have quite expensive operating costs. It's mostly only used in additions and places where you would only heat the space if you were currently in the room. > This is the detachable showerhead thing all over again. Uhhh... Everywhere I've lived in the US has had a detachable showerhead, from places built in the 1890s to places built in the 2000s. It's a normal thing for apartment dwellers to buy a nicer showerhead to replace the likely cheap and crappy one that landlord installed and then put the crappy one back before moving out.
andredz 5y ago
I looked up the last name: Siegenthaler

rocqua 5y ago

For anyone else wondering what hydronic heating is, it's using warm water as your main heat source. Either using radiators, or tubing in the floor to heat a room. This contrasts against the more common American method of using hot air to heat a home. I believe air heating is more common in the US because AC systems already require the relevant air ducting, so it's easier to install. Meanwhile here in NL airconditioning is very rare, and 95% of people use a gas fired water heater and metal radidators in rooms for heat distribution.

baq 5y ago
i would go as far as to say that nobody in continental europe knows the term 'hydronic', it's just heating, maybe central heating.

PoignardAzur 5y ago

TIL: - The term hydronic heating. - That most Americans don't have hydronic heating. That's so weird, here in France radiators are just ubiquitous. This is the detachable showerhead thing all over again. How do you people survive like that? You're supposed to be the highest GDP country in the world!

kasey_junk 5y ago
It’s because most AC systems require forced air, so hydronic is a second system. You’ll find hydronics in expensive houses that can justify the double expense or in colder climates where the heating benefits are more important than AC. Also everyplace I’ve lived in the last 25 years has had detachable showerheads.
Kihashi 5y ago
You'll find radiators in many older buildings (before about 1930 or so, at least in my area). Some are steam and some are hot water. The problem with them is that they tend to have higher maintenance costs plus if you wanted AC, you'd need to have a separate system, including ductwork. AC is relatively cheap to add to a house with forced air heating and quite expensive to add to a house with radiators. Mini Split AC systems are changing that somewhat, but they haven't caught on too well here. You can also find baseboard heating, but that tends to be electric and have quite expensive operating costs. It's mostly only used in additions and places where you would only heat the space if you were currently in the room. > This is the detachable showerhead thing all over again. Uhhh... Everywhere I've lived in the US has had a detachable showerhead, from places built in the 1890s to places built in the 2000s. It's a normal thing for apartment dwellers to buy a nicer showerhead to replace the likely cheap and crappy one that landlord installed and then put the crappy one back before moving out.

andredz 5y ago

I looked up the last name: Siegenthaler