KW2
New Member
Hello,
This forum is great, and while I've read some very useful information, I'm posting to get more specific advice for my situation. Thanks so much in advance.
The home is an 1880s home in MA that is heated with gas FHW radiators:
*2,300 sq ft on 3 floors
--- 950 sqft on 1st with 0 beds and 0.5 baths
--- 900 sqft on 2nd with 4 beds and 1.0 baths (plans to convert this floor to 3 beds and 2.0 baths within 1-2 years)
--- 450 sqft on 3rd with 2 beds and 0.0 baths
*Completely uninsulated (plan to insulate 1st/2nd fl walls, 3rd fl(attic) TBD as spray foam may be needed)
*Will have a dishwasher, laundry, and the aforementioned bathrooms
*The current gas boiler vents through a chimney that we removed; thus it needs to be power-vented, is 12y.o. and only 80% efficient. We understand this is a $2k+ 'fix' and power-vents are not very reliable.
The project:
Our goal is to convert the FHW radiators to forced air heating and cooling to get A/C and eliminate the radiator footprints. We are targeting 2 zones, and due to the old house have limited duct work options, so we are leaning towards a unit in the basement to heat/cool the 1st floor and a unit in the 3rd floor to heat/cool the 2nd and 3rd floors. Right now we have a 12 y.o. gas Burnham furnace rated at 80.0% efficiency. We've had a few proposals for gas furnace forced air heating/cooling, hydro air, and atankless Navien NCB-240 hydro air option.
Recommendations?
We've had reps from authorized outlets from Trane / Carrier / Lennox come out, but we've also gotten quotes from contractors/plumbers. Our plumber recommended the Navien 240 hydro air option, which seems to be somewhat cheaper than the more traditional 2x furnace/cooling unit options. He also recommended adding a 20gal indirect tank to help address the lag from needing hot water to actually getting it from the Navien. The combi boiler is a new concept to me, and I'm wondering if someone here with more professional expertise can affirm / deny that this type of setup and boiler would (could?) be appropriate for my home.
Thanks so much in advance...
KW
This forum is great, and while I've read some very useful information, I'm posting to get more specific advice for my situation. Thanks so much in advance.
The home is an 1880s home in MA that is heated with gas FHW radiators:
*2,300 sq ft on 3 floors
--- 950 sqft on 1st with 0 beds and 0.5 baths
--- 900 sqft on 2nd with 4 beds and 1.0 baths (plans to convert this floor to 3 beds and 2.0 baths within 1-2 years)
--- 450 sqft on 3rd with 2 beds and 0.0 baths
*Completely uninsulated (plan to insulate 1st/2nd fl walls, 3rd fl(attic) TBD as spray foam may be needed)
*Will have a dishwasher, laundry, and the aforementioned bathrooms
*The current gas boiler vents through a chimney that we removed; thus it needs to be power-vented, is 12y.o. and only 80% efficient. We understand this is a $2k+ 'fix' and power-vents are not very reliable.
The project:
Our goal is to convert the FHW radiators to forced air heating and cooling to get A/C and eliminate the radiator footprints. We are targeting 2 zones, and due to the old house have limited duct work options, so we are leaning towards a unit in the basement to heat/cool the 1st floor and a unit in the 3rd floor to heat/cool the 2nd and 3rd floors. Right now we have a 12 y.o. gas Burnham furnace rated at 80.0% efficiency. We've had a few proposals for gas furnace forced air heating/cooling, hydro air, and atankless Navien NCB-240 hydro air option.
Recommendations?
We've had reps from authorized outlets from Trane / Carrier / Lennox come out, but we've also gotten quotes from contractors/plumbers. Our plumber recommended the Navien 240 hydro air option, which seems to be somewhat cheaper than the more traditional 2x furnace/cooling unit options. He also recommended adding a 20gal indirect tank to help address the lag from needing hot water to actually getting it from the Navien. The combi boiler is a new concept to me, and I'm wondering if someone here with more professional expertise can affirm / deny that this type of setup and boiler would (could?) be appropriate for my home.
Thanks so much in advance...
KW
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