Heating question

**MDS** · January 27th, 2005, 11:38 AM

I'm trying to help my in-laws figure out the best solution for the cheapest fix. They had a room added to there home last year and had the heat/ac just tapped into the existing duct work. The heating unit is only 2 years old so replacement with a large unit is out of the question. I was looking into the in-line booster fans to put on the run that goes into the new addition but have been told they don't work well except the ones that have the large motors that you have to build a mount and everything for. They prefer not to have a wall/floor mount heater in since they went to the work of having the duct work added. The builder told them that the furnace had plenty of force to heat the room. The room is about 18'x12' with 3 vents in the floor currently and you can barely feel the air coming out of the vents. This is their new family room and they have it closed off using the small living room currently. Any suggestions that would help out would be great.

**digby0668** · January 27th, 2005, 03:24 PM

Home Depot sells a ceiling fan that has a built in ceramic heater. The price in the catalog I saw was $399.00.

**electric** · January 27th, 2005, 03:50 PM

do they have dampers in the auxiliary duct runs that you can adjust so
more air is push into the new room or even install in the main run

**MDS** · January 27th, 2005, 07:27 PM

update:
I just got back from there house and had bad news

When there addition was added on the idiot builder didn't insulate the duct work under the house. And to top it off there is no way short of ripping the floor up to get to it. I tried closing all other dampers to see if I could even get hot air to the addition and it did but it was cold by the time it got to the room. The furnace that they were sold is too small for the house as it don't output enough hot air and the blower isn't Strong enough to reach the new room unless almost every other room is closed by the dampers. So at this point there isn't really much I can do and adding a booster will not help as the air gets cold. The only real fix would be a bigger heater unit or something like a baseboard heater for that room. The really got scr@wed on the addition by the builder to begin with as the sheetrock has been cracking and many other problems.

**Brainchild** · January 27th, 2005, 08:19 PM

MDS,that's too bad,sounds like a builder just wanting to get some cash,and not caring about the outcome

Have they concidered something like a wallheater for that room? Dad put one in the kitchen and it works well.They don't require a vent,and all you need is just a propane/gas line,and it hangs on trhe wall.YOu can get one in a kit that looks like a fireplace if ya want.

http://www.stpaulmercantile.com/procom.htm#Procom

**pickel** · January 27th, 2005, 11:25 PM

Is there no way you (they ) could cut in an access to get under the floor to insulate the duct work ????? Shouldn't cost all that much considering what they've got now. It might be possible to add some heaters to the existing furnace ( maybe)?? I had to disconnect my third stage heater since it was overkill in my house. Good Luck

**RedFury** · January 27th, 2005, 11:38 PM

Well, the insulation under the addition is the biggest issue that needs to be addressed. If this was built as an addition to the home, not a 4 season porch, then the builder should properly insulate under the floor if it is built on stilts, especially when you've got heater runs underneath it...

**Siliconjunkie** · January 27th, 2005, 11:40 PM

If it is not up to code (bet it isnt) take the builder to court.

**MDS** · January 27th, 2005, 11:56 PM

We have talked about cutting a crawl space hole in the concrete foundation to get in there to insulate the ducts. SJ I have told them the same thing, but they are getting pretty old(wifes grandparents) and are set in there ways as they are letting this guy just walk on them.

The builder cut a 10" sq hole in the foundation to run the ductwork through(6" round) so I can see under it and tell there is no insulation not to mention all the cold air that was going into the basement from the over-sized hole left. I cut a piece of plywood to cover the hole around the pipe and screwed it into the concrete. As for adding another heater I also brought it up, but there don't have much money and the heating/cooling people who put the new furnace/AC in sold them too small of a unit for there house not to mention I had to fix several leaks in the duct work

I'm trying to talk them into a baseboard heater or a wall heater but they are worried about the increase cost of utilities. I'm in a loosing situation. I offered to buy them a baseboard heater when my tax return comes back but they are not willing to let me spend money to help them out but I may anyway. Right now they are using a 10x12 living room because of this problem and have a blanket over the door to the new addition.

I also though about ceiling mount heater as there is an attic that I can get into.

ceiling mouted heater

I also just have seen the drop in heaters

drop-ins

**RedFury** · January 28th, 2005, 01:09 AM

So, there is block foundation all around the perimeter of the addition? Did they insulate the block on the inside, and I assume the floor is dirt. IF that is the case, then I don't believe they would have to insulate anything, although it would make more sense, since you are not heating the area underneath the addition with basement heat.

You either need to find some flexible insulated duct work you can run yourself under there and get rid of the tin, or find a way to insulate the tin with something...anything is better than exposed.

You may want to confront the company that sold them the furnace about it being to small for their home. You could probably find a heating calculator and figure out what their house needed before the addition.

the whole situation stinks from where I'm sitting. No attention to detail

**Omardeth** · January 28th, 2005, 06:51 AM

ya man this about stinks , you might want to say you will take them to small claims court , that might scare them into fixing it right . what about a wood stove . they are pretty easy to vent , i am sure you could do that yourself and they don't cost that much .

**MTAtech** · January 28th, 2005, 09:43 AM

How about this as a thinking out of the box solution? Turn the ducts from an output to an input (return) to the furnace. It will suck out the cold air from the room which the vacuum created will draw warm air from other adjacent rooms.

**electric** · January 28th, 2005, 09:51 AM

where is the cold air return located at ?it can make a difference especially
if the furnace installer just used the basement as a cold air return instead
of the living area

**MDS** · January 28th, 2005, 10:12 AM

cold air returns are in almost every room of the old part but none in the new part

As for a fireplace I really don't think they could handle loading it up with wood(they are 76 and 79 yrs old not to mention home owner insurance would increase) The sad thing is the heating company put the new heating/AC in after the new adition was built so they should have considered the space when helping pick the unit which they overcharged them for anyway($4000 for just the furnace part).

**RedFury** · January 28th, 2005, 06:45 PM

Well, if they installed the furnace based on the heating needs of the house, then they should be culpable for the inefficiency of their product to perform as needed. Simple as that. There are mathmatical equations that can tell you exactly how many BTU's the furnace needs to output for a given area..that simple.