Tagged Questions

1
vote
1answer
51 views

What is a quieter alternative to gas forced air heating?

My small 1BR apartment has an old gas furnace that works great, but costs my landlord too much to insure. He plans to install gas forced air, an in-unit upright furnace. I'd love to suggest a ...
0
votes
0answers
89 views

Why isn't water running through our radiators?

We had a plumber in today to bleed our rads. He also changed the batteries on the thermostat and fiddled around with the boiler. Since he left the temperature has dropped dramatically and he's refused ...
4
votes
1answer
424 views

How can I prevent my HVAC condensate drain line from freezing?

Last night, my heat (forced air) suddenly stopped. Today, a plumber figured out that my heater is 90% efficient, produces lots of condensate, and the drain line had frozen. We went outside and saw ...
0
votes
0answers
55 views

What does the low limit do, and where should it be set on an oil fired hot water furnace?

What does the low limit do, and where should it be set? My furnace has a honeywell triple aquastat relay and has a difference dial. Water temp is about 190 deg F. Also, water psi gauge is only ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views

Convert line voltage heating system to use low voltage thermostats

I currently have two line voltage ceiling radiant heating systems in my condo each with their own DPST thermostat. I'd like to use low voltage thermostats such as the nest. I found this ...
2
votes
1answer
89 views

What is the cost of one percent efficiency on an oil heater?

We've now had about 7 contractors come to our house and give us estimates for replacing a) our oil heater (system from the early 1980's, estimated at around 65% effeciency), and b) our central air ...
5
votes
1answer
172 views

Is it possible to recover waste heat from a boiler?

I did a google search and came back with industrial products, but no residential prosucts. I have a System 2000 boiler and hot water tank. When the furnace is firing, the temp of the exhaust through ...
2
votes
1answer
504 views

How can I prevent heat loss through heater/air conditioner wall units?

HVAC experts out there... I live in Wisconsin and it gets mighty cold here! I have a condo with 2 wall units that are used for both air conditioning and heat. My heat bill in the cold winter months ...
1
vote
1answer
458 views

What are my options for venting my oil boiler?

I have a small New Yorker AP-U (480?) boiler that is currently vented to a large flu in my house's chimney. I want to install a wood stove in my house and I'd like to use the chimney to vent it, which ...
4
votes
2answers
590 views

Where should I install a Pellet Stove to supplement my boiler?

We are purchasing a pellet stove insert for our single floor 1200 sq. ft. home. We are doing this to reduce our dependency on oil (hot water boiler), which we use to heat the house with baseboard hot ...
13
votes
4answers
4k views

Why don't programmable thermostats automatically switch between “Cool” and “Heat”?

While I can set my house to be a particular temperature, I still have to manually switch it between "Heat" and "Cool" mode, and this seems to be true of every thermostat (programmable or not) that ...
6
votes
4answers
1k views

Why aren't Geothermal heat pumps more common?

Air conditioning and heating are major energy consumers in American buildings - commercial, residential, and industrial. I have been curious for a while as to why it isn't more common to use the ...
6
votes
4answers
733 views

Heating/cooling system recommendations for this small house?

I will soon build my first house and I need to choose what type of heating/cooling system I'll have installed. I know very little about this and I'm seeking recommendations, ideas, suggestions, etc. ...
10
votes
11answers
4k views

How can I increase the heating efficiency of a forced air system?

What are some DIY ways to increase the efficiency of a forced air heating system? Please answer in Community wiki fashion: 1 tip per answer. Edit: As @Jay Bazuzi pointed out, tips can also include ...
1
vote
1answer
5k views

Should I add a return air vent in a refinished basement?

We are refinishing our basement, and are nearing competition. The walls are drywalled, and the ceiling is dropped. There will be about 500 sq ft of finished space, including a full bathroom, and ...
3
votes
3answers
102 views

Geothermal Resources

I am very interested in learning more about Geothermal solutions for my house. What are the best resources for learning about and planning a Geothermal systems for a residential house? Also, does ...