Tu fully duct or not ?

[Fi-Q]

Hi,

I am about to get some time off, so I will try to get as many thing finished in my ''never ending'' building my house project.

I am going with hydronic radiant, in the basement slab (Already poured) , I will go with a suspended slab on main floor (Not poured yet) and stapple under for the 2nd floor.

I will sure put some duct work for a Air Exchanger (With heat recovery), but it's going t have it's own independant small ducting system.

My first boiler will be electric, untill I can afford, and time to build my detached shop/garage and I can put a wood boiler in it..... Is this going to in 2, 5 or 20 years ?? Who knows...... I've been heating the house with a EPA wood stove for 5 years, it's doing a great job, I've finished an apartement in the basement, and we're living it it since and the wood stove in centrally located in the basement. But we've changed the staircase direction and it's going to be far from the stove, so I am affraid that I won't be able to decently heat the entire house with the wood stove (Or at least decently supplement the ''electrically heated'' radiant hydronic floor.) So I was thinking, should I duct the whole house for a eventuall fulll HVAC system, Geo-thermal, or centrail AC, wood furnace ???

I know that these days, as far as AC goes, looks like mini-split is the way to go..... and for the few days (Under 30 days per year max) that we need AC, I might get along with 2-3 portable units through the house

But I could use the full HVAC ducting to circulate the warm basement air from the basement to the 2 other floor, at a much higer CFM that what a air exchanger is doing. And who know, in 35 years, maybe my radiant floor will be past is service life, so I can always use the dusting with the eventuall wood boiler or put in a wood furnace , I m only 33, so hopefully a lot of time still to enjoy this house...

All the wall are still open, same as my first to 2nd ceilling, and avery easy access to the basement to 1st ceilling.

What would you guys do ? What do you have to recommend, is the extra cost (Wich I have no clue of the cost yet)of putting ducting for an eventuall full HVAC system worth it while evrything is still accessible ? And I guess I would need to get my system design by a pro? I sure can installed duct but I have no clue on how to design a ducting sytem.

Any ideas, comments, suggestion are welcome.

Thanks

 

[Fi-Q]

All right !! Typo mistake in the title !!

 

[tony Cecil]

I have several split systems..They are easy to install, and I have been satisfied with them...The whole house ducted system (I also have) is easy to just turn on and basically forget, until you get the bill....I enjoy the house to be open (not with the pollen in the air) but and then in the middle of the afternoon to close up and turn a/c on , or when it is chilly to still open house if the temp is seventy or so, until the later afternoon coolness , makes me close up.....For really cold times, you have a good wood stove , and that is needed Tony

 

[Tig]

I'm also building. At the floors and trim stage now. I'd say go with ducting. I'm heating with wood until I get the well drilled for the Geo. I'm glad to have ducting to move air around the house. On top of moving heat, it really helps to even out the humidity in the dead of winter. You are in a cold climate and moving air means comfort.
I had my system designed by a pro, because the inspectors required that. It was worth it. Duct design isn't rocket science but there is a lot to consider with air volume and target velocities. Add to that heat loss and gain. It's worth it to have a stamped plan to follow. I did my own install. It was an interesting project. I'm happy with the result. It's much quieter than my last contractor designed and installed system.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm not a big fan of building for what if, but I'm also nervous about new technology and hoping that it actually works. Central HVAC systems are pretty simple and proven. I know some of the other systems out there work, but I also know that they are changing and modifying them every year to make them better. Both in efficiency and reliability. I also know that there are some issues with reliability and you really don't want to have to deal with what it's going to cost to fix one of those things, or who you will get to do it.

Leaking air through the ducts is a HUGE problem and something that is rarely caught because they duct installers are usually young kids without any real training. They are paid to get it done, and the faster they do it, the sooner they get paid. They will tape up the insulation, but leave all sorts of gaps in the connections of the pipes. Doing it yourself will ensure that the lines are tight and done right.

Insulating the attic with enough insulation will also make a big difference. 24 inches of blown in insulation is pretty much the standard now. I read that spray in insulation applied to the ducts is also proving to be very beneficial. Just a couple of inches and there is a significant increase in the amount of air the gets through the ducts and in the temperature drop.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm not a big fan of building for what if, but I'm also nervous about new technology and hoping that it actually works. Central HVAC systems are pretty simple and proven. I know some of the other systems out there work, but I also know that they are changing and modifying them every year to make them better. Both in efficiency and reliability. I also know that there are some issues with reliability and you really don't want to have to deal with what it's going to cost to fix one of those things, or who you will get to do it.

Leaking air through the ducts is a HUGE problem and something that is rarely caught because they duct installers are usually young kids without any real training. They are paid to get it done, and the faster they do it, the sooner they get paid. They will tape up the insulation, but leave all sorts of gaps in the connections of the pipes. Doing it yourself will ensure that the lines are tight and done right.

Insulating the attic with enough insulation will also make a big difference. 24 inches of blown in insulation is pretty much the standard now. I read that spray in insulation applied to the ducts is also proving to be very beneficial. Just a couple of inches and there is a significant increase in the amount of air the gets through the ducts and in the temperature drop.

Eddie

 

[Fi-Q]

Eddie, I have 30 in of blown in in my attic !! So I am good I guess on that side !!

One thing I like about a central system, is the system will be in a mechanical room in the basement ! LAst summer at the office, the mini split air filter got clogged with dust, so the unit was really working hard and all the line start to show condensation and water was flowing out of the inside unit, that happen overnight when nobody was there !! Didn'T really make any damaged as the floor is tile and it just leaked from the floor to the unfinished basement. But I can't imagine all the mess, if per say, this would happen with the main or second floor of the mini split I would have at home, while we were gone for a day or something !! I am usually pretty good at maintaining my equipment, but, it can happen !