# hot water base board heat questions



## outfishin_ (Jul 28, 2004)

I'm looking at a house today to purchase that has natural gas hot water base board heat. What can anyone tell me about this type of heat? Is it very efficient ? Reliable? Expensive to repair or replace? ect..... I have never had it and I know nothing about it. 

Thanks

Ben


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## Rencoho (Oct 18, 2000)

Have it at my house, the past 20 years, and love it. I believe it to be every bit as reliable and efficent as my prior homes forced air furnace. I like the even heat it gives, and quietness of it too.


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## WoW (Oct 26, 2010)

No dust to filter like with a forced air system.

No ducts to install but, without duct work, you are not going to have central air either.

Boilers can last a long, long time...


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## wartfroggy (Jan 25, 2007)

We bought a house this spring that has it. So far, I am torn. I do like the even heat. I like having so many separate zones to adjust the heat throughout the house. I like that it is mostly quiet. I like that there are no filters. I like that you don't get a breeze when the heat kicks on. 

I do not like the difficulty to add air, since there is no duct work. 

I do not like having the registers take up so much room along the walls.

I also had a copper line break just before the radiator, and soaked the carpet in that room. The house had been winterized, and we had an inspection done right after dewinterizing it. Didn't notice anything. A couple days after closing, while painting rooms, we noticed the wet carpet and dog piss smell in that room. I am sure it was damaged before we bought it, but we found it too late, and the bank we bought it from wouldn't budge. So, we had it fixed and ended up just replacing that carpet.


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## Michihunter (Jan 8, 2003)

Very efficient. Very reliable. Even heating throughout the house. Repairs are minimal and inexpensive for the most part(circulating pump is usually the most expensive and common issue and they normally cost less than $100). AC can be an issue but there are solutions that will be just as good as Central Forced Air Cooling. Be happy and content with this heating application.


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## Rencoho (Oct 18, 2000)

As others have said, central air can be an issue, with hot water heat, though not impossible. We added a Unico central air system to our home. Much smaller less obvious ductwork, has been a very good addtion to our home.


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## Happy Jack (Jan 21, 2003)

20 years and like it. Pro's are all above, 2 con's. When it's real cold and you turn up the temp it takes longer. My house (older) takes about 45 min per deg. No filter to collect dust so everything else does.


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## PLUMMER47 (Dec 9, 2006)

The most comfortable and efficient heat there is. Everyone here pretty much covered all the good and the only bad part ( A/C) about it. Proper setup and minor maintenance is key. All things you can do yourself. If it takes 45 minutes to raise 1 degree then the boiler is way undersized , a pump not working or a zone valve. The code requires the boiler to be sized according to ASHRAE & the 10 year average coldest temp day in your region. Most boilers I see are way over sized as they did things differently back in the day. And for those who have a boiler less than 20 years old probably had the ignorant/unlicensed installer approach , sizing by what fits thru the door,sizing by the existing label or sizing by how much existing baseboard there is. A heat loss calculation or Manual J is a MUST. 90% of homes require 70KBTU or smaller. Plus you can add an Indirect water tank for crazy efficiency gains. 
Every winterized or foreclosed home with a boiler I have done in the last 2 years were ruined or needed lots of repair due to banks using minimum wage unknowledgeable workers. Boilers should never be winterized dry, they should always have some fluid in them ( approved antifreeze) , unless its a mod con. The air that is let into the system is what starts the erosion & can do serious damage to a cast iron boiler so beware. Also radiant heat was not intended or installed to be winterized. So there is often alot of trapped air/water pockets......Beware before you buy. The most common replaced items are pumps-zone valves-PRV's-expansion tanks-backflow devices-air vents. All of which are under $100.00 Proper inspection by a qualified tech is a MUST as I have never met a qualified home inspector that knew enuff about boilers let alone any mechanicals. They know a little about alot but not enuff about everything (especially mechanicals). And purchasing a home that needs a new boiler can cost $3000.00 to $15,000.00 Depending on what you have. Properly installed and maintained you can expect 25+ years easily from a CI boiler without any serious costs


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## outfishin_ (Jul 28, 2004)

Thanks everyone for the input.....I won't shy away from a home with that heating type now....learning that its efficient, quiet, and dust filter free. 

PS I looked at the house today it was a major DUMP...the only good part was the heating system. All brand new...it froze and broke last winter.


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