Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-02
HOME HEATINc-cooLiN
Speedy Air Duct Plan
Compared With Others
FRANCIS p. DOUGLAS

FRANCIS p. DOUGLAS
If you are going to build Q
house you win want to give care.
full consideration to the heating
system.
Buying a house already built
whether q new one or an old one
your choice of heating equip
ment will be limited to your
choice Of houses. You should give
the heating equipment a careful
look, however. to make sure it i:
serviceable.
II you can possibly find Out
what the last heating seasons
fuel bill was, 1t may pay you to
do so. Some people have beer
known to get rid Of a house be-
cause it costs so much to heat it
Since World War II builders
have turned more and more tc
hot air heat. Such q system Is
economical to install. 1t responds
quickly to the need for raising
or lowering the temperature since
practically no new houses in the
Washington area have coal burn
ing furnaces now.
Another advantage is that II II
is desired to add an air cooling
system later. the ducts which are
there may be useful. The wore
may" should be stressed. Duct:
for cool air should be larger
than those intended for hot all
alone. In building a house with
the idea a cooling system may bt
added later, get some expert ad.
vice about the size Of the ducts.
Drawbacks Cited
Proponents Of other heating
systems will point to some draw.
backs in hot air heating. They
viii tell you that you will have
more Of q dust problem thar
with so-called wet heat"-hot
water or steam. Another thing /,
that temperature differences viii
be greater than an ideal ever
temperature throughout. Tn,
heat viii be less near the flool
than near the ceiling.
Heat experts say, however
that with a well designed hot ali
plant you should have as gooc
heating as with a wet heat
system. They add that an i'm.
properly designed hot air sys.
tenn is all too frequently found
There should be an electric
blower to force the hot ali
through the duct system. Some
times a humidifier to add mos
ture to the air will be advan.
tageous. Many houses are bull
without this feature.
Radiant heating, with pipes II
the floor or walls carrying no
water is a comparatively new de-
velopment. A properly designed
system viii give even heating
It is efficient in cost Of operation
There is no dust problem. Blu
the initial cost Is somewhat NOR
than a hot air system. It win no
warm up q house as promptly q
q hot air system, and after tn
temperature Is up 1t may get to-
warm. But with a system o
proper size, and with adequat,
insulation for the house it work
well.
Design Improved
The old fashioned free-stand
ing hot water or steam radiato
has fallen into disfavor. But tn
result is that the manufacturer
ARE designing more attractiy
ones and are putting them int
cabinets or into recesses in tn
walls.
Another development is, in ef
fleet. to put the radiators In tn
baseboards. Heat experts speal
of these as convectors. They &c
rid Of the free-standing radiator
They can take the heat to a
parts Of the room. And wher
there is q large picture window
in front Of which a radiato
would be out Of place, extr
. piping in the baseboards ca
provide the extra heat needed.
!, In q split level house 1t is sal
|, to be somewhat easier to get a
, even distribution with baseboar
convectors than with hot air sys
TENS.
Again the question Of good de
. sign and an adequate installa
ton Of q hot air system is raise
: in connection with this question
Proponents Of hot air system
say they can heat a split levt
: house as well as other systeml
II properly installed.
: A Dashboard system Of cast iro
; may have an advantage over on
Of copper tubing In appearance
!. but 1t Is also more expensive.
There Is another heating sys
tem-radiant heating in tn
. ceiling with electricity providin
the heat. This is used in som
places but 1t Is rare or not foun
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