Adding Hydronic Basboards to exsisting Forced Air

[jessem]

I currently have an OWB with forced air, however I have come across some 4-8’ hydronic baseboards, would it be beneficial or cost effective to add baseboards in conjunction with the forced air to the exterior wall(s). The house is an 1.5 story 1920’s farm house, so their is a good bit of cool air that comes in @ the floor.

Thanks

JM

 

[James Ascherl]

It would be beneficial, but I don't know about cost effective. It depends on how far you have to run them. what modifications you would have to make etc. But any time you have an opportunity to dump more BTUs into your living space the better.

 

[woodsmaster]

To me the main advantage of the baseboard would be that they are pretty much silent. I used to love laying on the blowing
heat register with a blanket when I was a kid, the house was allways cold. Now that I have a comfy house heated by radiator panels, I'm glad to not have to listen to the fan run. It's just a matter of preference.

 

[DaveBP]

Assuming they aren't plugged with permanent crud, and assuming it wouldn't take a lot of demo work to run some PEX tubing around, I'd try a bunch just to see what they can do. You'll certainly get some heat out of them at the likely range of temps coming out of your FA heat exchanger.

I suggest the opinion of the resident interior design engineer should be taken into account before that of your heating engineer.

 

[Gary_602z]

A better payback may be in more insulation and sealing of the structure.

Gary

 

[Duetech]

From what I have gathered from people with base board is the water temps for forced air and base board need to be close to the same (just a little lower for the base board) for effective heating. I have a water air exchanger in my oil furnace plenum and know via experience that 120*f water does little to warm the home at 30*f and next to nothing or loses on windy days at 0*f. With baseboard at 160* you should have ample heat. I do with my current system. If I had baseboard (on the need to do list which comes after Honey-do) I wouldn't pay as much up front for electricity as the blower on the oil furnace really uses the juice. Even so I would leave the exchanger in the plenum and plumbed into the system for periods of "quick recovery".