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jr3636

New Heating System

JR3636
11 years ago

HI guys! New to the forum, trying to work through some different ideas as far as what route I should take with installing a heating system in my cottage. The cottage is built on a slab in the 1950s with a two story addition added in the 80s. the cottage is about 2000 sq. feet now with one side being almost all windows to give a full view of the lake. There's currently baseboard heat which I am hoping to replace due to the cost of running them. I would like to leave room for an addition to be made in the future with what ever I end up buying. With that said I am thinking that because there is no in wall ventilation and I dont really see how it could be added without significant modifications being made for these accommodations that my best option would be to run two different units, one in the addition (which is two stories) and one in the original structure (which is a single story), in the attic spaces. I'm no expert in heating and cooling and would like to know what other options that have maybe worked for others or if that would seem to be a reasonable route to take what units and size of units would be recommended. thanks for the help

Comments (2)

  • PRO
    JF Maxwell Heating and Cooling
    11 years ago

    Unless you plan on gutting your sheet rock, ducts cannot be installed in the second story attic and ran down to the first floor. It is not happening. If there is no basement or crawl space for the 2 story addition, you must sacrifice the first floor. Closet entry from the attic to the first floor is always an option, but you will have major hot/cold pockets and terrible air mixture. Plus, no closets. If you are talking about a 1000 sq. ft. addition, 500 per floor, I would start saying the words "Mini Split". A Mini Split can be installed on each floor near the cost of one(1) full system, I said near...and would do the job as long as there was an open floor plan. The original cottage is not an issue. you must take into account the windows as you stated, but where you live and your climate will determine the proper size as well as your insulation factor. Tell me your location and I may be able to recommend some sizes and models. If I am not familiar with your climate, i am sure one of these Know it Alls on here will help you!!!

    This post was edited by hvacajun on Sat, Jan 26, 13 at 23:03

  • ryanhughes
    11 years ago

    If you can add ductwork without major renovations (probably unlikely), I would look into conventional split systems. If the unit is going in the attic, you'll want to make sure the ductwork is very well sealed and insulated. Do you have natural gas available or is this going to be all electric (heat pump)?

    Another option to consider would be consider ductless mini-splits. If you don't mind the sight of an indoor unit hanging on the wall, there are some very efficient mini-split systems out there and they may be a good fit for your application. If you aren't familiar with these types of systems, just do a quick Google search for "mini split heat pump."

    As far as size of units goes, nobody here can accurately help you with that. Equipment sizing is determined by performing a proper heat load/heat loss calculation ("Manual J"). You need to find a contractor that will run these calculations rather than guesstimate on the size units you need. An oversized system is just as bad, if not worse, than an undersized system.

    This post was edited by ryanhughes on Sat, Jan 26, 13 at 23:07