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Posted by HeatPro on December 16, 2005 at 12:48:37:
In Reply to: Re: Energy Savings 101- Electric vs. Steam? posted by J.C. on December 16, 2005 at 11:59:57:
Don't bother with the central air ductwork. Install a ducted ductless-split AC in the upstairs (I know - it doesn't make sense, but there are cassette-type blowers that use short lengths of duct to other rooms available for the outside unit) and a ductless ceiling or wall unit for the living room downstairs.
http://heatpro.bluedomino.com/service/splitlevel.htm
Radiant heat is better than a convective electric wall strip, take a look at these:
http://www.oikos.com/products/mechanical/sshc/
http://www.infraredheaters.com/crp.htm
http://www.wireworld.com/tempco/BODYPAGES/Tempco3.html
Think of them as pictures to be placed near where you are the most in different parts of the day.
A heat pump is a disaster in a poorly-insulated home. The cold walls are at 40F and the 90F air blows over them to cool down and send cold drafts across the floor. Don't bother.
You won't get the radiators upstairs to be cool with a non-electric radiator valve. Steam is either 212F, or it isn't steam. What a non-electric radiator valve does is shut the air off at the point that the room should be satisfied, so only part of the radiator is hot, then averages down as the heat spreads in the radiator. It doesn't work like a hot water non-electric valve.
Non-electric steam radiator vents work differently than regular steam vents, so can still work at 15 psig. However, regular steam vents are damaged and become flat, useless slugs after the first 10 lb flattening presssure. They shouldn't be subjected to pressure over 3 psig, or they become useless.
http://64.226.150.132/hydronic/steam/steam1.htm