Hello. I am rehabbing a house which is approx 3100 sq ft including basement. It currently has radiators and no central air. I've been reading about the ductless heating and air systems and the idea of them seem great but are they really better than the forced heat and central air systems? Is the ductless really less expensive than running ducts throughout the house for central cooling? The house will be gutted down to the studs and completely rebuilt. I should mention that the house is a standard split level house with the bedrooms upstairs and the remaining living space on the first floor. I have plans to completely finish the basement. I would like to hear everyone's opinion. Thanks.

You would probably need several systems of the ductless units,, the cost woud be outragious,, go with the central system,, get several estimates,, from reliable well spoke of contracters,, the installation is very,very important,no matter what brand you decide on,, installation before /during the remodeling would make the job much easier

I would go with ducts. But, you might want to think about a zone system. It will help keep more of a even heating and cooling throughout the house.

I would have two complete separate systems. This will allow zoning and work well when you have that many square feet to heat and cool.

My last home had hot water heat... It was great, but unfortunately no air conditioning was installed. If I was gutting and replacing a homes mechanicals, I would definitely go with hot water heat, radiant, hydronic or both and a separate air conditioning system. Since you are gutting the home and improving the insulation make sure the insulation factor is considered in hvac requirements. And consider fresh air requirements as well.

Good luck

Thanks everyone for your advice. I am leaning toward the traditional HVAC system but I am concerned about the duct work taking up ceiling space in my basement. I plan to use my basement as a family room. The ceiling is on 7 ft. Wouldn't the duct work eat up a signifcant amount of ceiling height? Or is there some new great technology that would allow for very thin duct work to heat and cool the house?

Duct can take up some space. You need to contact a qualified contractor in your area and have the take a look to see what they can do.

Dre, actually there is Space-Pak, Unico (spell check). It's a system that uses 3" flexible ducts at a high velocity. They are pricy, as I understand but they are much less intrusive since the ducts can be snaked to most areas. Just a thought. I've seen them installed in historic buildings and the 3" outlets are barely visible.