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4eyed · Nov 26, 2005, 12:21 PM

Does anyone know if it is possible to add some kind of heating system to my existing central air.

We did some remodeling last year and added central air. We have hot water / baseboard heating but it doesn't seem to be enough. I was wondering how big of a deal it would be to add some kind of heating system to it to supplement the baseboard...

caibuadday · Nov 26, 2005, 02:06 PM

[QUOTE=4eyed]Does anyone know if it is possible to add some kind of heating system to my existing central air.

We did some remodeling last year and added central air. We have hot water / baseboard heating but it doesn't seem to be enough. I was wondering how big of a deal it would be to add some kind of heating system to it to supplement the baseboard... [/QUO
You have4choices... #1 use electric heater; if your electrical panel still have room for add on: it is cheap to install but expensive to operate... #2 add on a furnace to AC system, it is cheap to operate, give problem sometimes... #3 add small fancoil (hot water) to rooms that complaint COLD... #4 add a hotwater coil to your existing AC... with option #3/4 you may need a bigger boiler ;when it COLD does the boiler cycle off ? Do you ever try to max out the boiler's capacity by max out it setpoint( 190F)...

4eyed · Nov 26, 2005, 08:13 PM

The boiler is constantly running. But when it gets real cold it never gets warm enough. It seems that there is not enough baseboard to cover the area.

There is another problem. There is a long section of baseboard that is underneath a high ceiling where the main stairs is. That heat just goes up an is wasted. I was trying to think of a way where I can blow that hot air into the room that needs it instead of letting it go up to the second floor hallway where it is not needed.

labman · Nov 26, 2005, 08:50 PM

How old is your boiler? If it is less than 10 years old, I would look at making it work right. As mentioned, if the boiler doesn't cycle off much, it is too small. Otherwise look at adding more base board heaters where you need them. You might even be able to move part of the one in the hallway, or even swap it with a smaller one where you need more heat.

If the system is old, or too small, you should be able to add a forced air furnace if the A/C ducts are standard sized, not special, smaller A/c ducts.

caibuadday · Nov 29, 2005, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by 4eyed

the boiler is constantly running. But when it gets real cold it never gets warm enough. It seems that there is not enough baseboard to cover the area.

There is another problem. There is a long section of baseboard that is underneath a high ceiling where the main stairs is. That heat just goes up an is wasted. I was trying to think of a way where i can blow that hot air into the room that needs it instead of letting it go up to the second floor hallway where it is not needed.

it seem that the boiler not big enough... but you could check to make sure it fire at full capacity( make sure all the fire rodS are lit and the flameS are blue* like your stove... and the meter is reading the same as the rating on the boiler... *** 1 cubic feet = 100000 BTU, boiler is rate as per hour )... or get bigger boiler and more baseboard...

labman · Nov 29, 2005, 08:51 PM

A larger boiler or a forced air furnace is expensive. Your fuel bill will only go up, sounds like maybe way up. How is your insulation, windows, sealing, etc. Many basements and crawl spaces are heat sieves. Tighten things up and maybe your current boiler can keep up. Even going beyond the point of saving fuel, saving the price of a heating system makes insulation much more cost effective.