Best Heating/Cooling Solution For My House

[seth]

Hello,

I am after some advise on the best Heating/Cooling Solution for my House.

I am planning some renovations which include removing some internal walls, replacing the timber floor boards and adjusting some ceiling heights.

I currently use a natural gas space heater. It was okay when I was in an apartment but has difficulty heating the entire house now. The house has insulation in the roof.

I would like to go with natural gas (for cost to run) for heating and a refridgerated system for cooling - both ducted. Ideally in an attempt to save money I would prefer if they shared the same ducting system, which from the research I have done would mean ceiling registers. I do have plenty of room in the roof cavity and also under house. I would be wanting something with at least 4 zones, timer, programmable etc

Can anyone give me advice on:

* A single system that integrates both heating and refridgerated aircon
* Best place for gas furnace for the heating (roof, under house, outside?)
* Noise from furnance running (if any)
* Can the furnace and the cooling refridgerator be located next to each other?
* Should I consider seperate floor ducting for heating?
* insulation for under the house/floor (can I do it when replacing floor boards?)
* Positioning of ceiling registers (I have very wide cornaces)
* what sort of depth to I need for the intake, can I build it into an existing false internal wall?
* Some brands to reccomend?
* where to find some stylish registers

The house has an old fireplace which has not been used for sometime. While it is _nice_ it does not seem very practicle. We will probably remove the existing fireplace but retain the chimney so any future purchase can put a fireplace back in.

House size is approximatley 115 sqm. Celing height is about 2.8. House is double brick, about 60 years old.

Windows will be double glazed timber with a green tint.

I will probably put under tile heating in the bathroom or heated towel rail.

Solar pannels on the roof eventually.

I live in Sydney.

Please let me know if If I need to supply any further information.

Thanks
Seth

[Carpenter]

Hi Seth,

Its a big question you've asked, & I reckon there is some technology in the pipeline that is worthy of mention because it can effect you're decision. This was on the "New Inventors" last year & we're all following it closely. http://www.greenandgoldenergy.com.au/
The figures look good, if you factor it into you're home loan & take into consideration you'd be forking out at least $1000/yr for electricity, there's no reason not too do it - I'm going to. What it means in terms of you're question about heating/cooling is that if you are generating you're own power, the question of using electrically based systems is a lot more viable, & guilt free. In summer, there's no way to beat the heat other than aircon. Imagine on the hottest days when energy demand is at its peak, with this system you'll be cranking out maximum power from you're "Suncube" system!

[echnidna]

Personally I'd go for a ducted evaporative cooling system, they work well and are economical to run. For heating I'd use gas because there is less likliehood of supply system failure.

With the feds thinking of nuclear power its obvious that electricity supply problems will occur in future.

[seth]

Hi Carpenter,
the sun cube stuff looks very interesting. The solar thing unfortunatley is the last item on the list probably a 2008 thing, but I will remember to check out then sun cube.

As for the evaporative cooler echnidna, uinfortunatley Sydney seems to be getting a lot more humid these days and as I understand it the evaporative systems won't help me fix that.

I am starting to thing about just getting a reveresed cycle air con and supplimenting it with gas space heater.

Still open to suggestions for dudcted gas/ refrig air con.

Cheers

[Bin J]

We have a natural gas space heater and it is great - AND we live in one of the coldest places in Australia. We have excellent insulation though, but I don't understand why people want heating in their rooms :confused: . I reckon it's terrible to wake up roasting hot - just get some extra blankets .

If I had an existing fire place that wasn't being used, I'd get one of those natural gas heaters that looks like a proper fire. If the old chimney still goes out of the roof (ie is not blocked), these can be used for the gas flue.

I understand that those reverse cycle airconditioners can be very economical too.

[echnidna]

I just had a look at Carpenters link about the suncube.
Very impressive.

Think I'll look for some grants for the scout camp,
be well worthwhile there.

[Master Splinter]

Ouch, that Suncube(TM) site is bad on the eyes.

I nearly mistook it for Timecube, and that's not a good comparison. Got all the wrong alarm bells ringing.

Did anyone else notice that the Suncube site(TM) has not been updated since the date when they were due to start shipping? (April 2006)?

Or that there have been no new posts to the Sun(TM)cube(TM)discussion forum(TM) since...um...April 2006.(TM)

Or that there have been no updates(TM) to the Sun(TM)cube(TM) news frame(TM) since...hey, April 2006. (TM)(TM)

Or that Suncube's "partners" dont appear to link back to Suncube from their websites? Apparently, the Greenhouse office have even stopped responding to Green and Gold energy's emails.

Green and Gold energy is also registered not as a company, but as a sole trader. I think insufficient market capitalisation may have struck.

So I would not hold my breath waiting for their product.

[freestyle]

I advise on the following systems-

A ducted gas heater with a solar heat transfer system attached called "Solectair Plus", basically the Solectair uses the heat stored in your roof to heat your house until there is 5 degrees differance, then gas heater comes on. The system uses the fan in the gas heater. Very good for your climate, possibly only using gas on cold nights.
The saving on duct for the reason to have one system is not really valid but is a common thought, duct is the cheap part of the installation. To pass heat through a duct it has an optimum size, whereas to pass cooling through has a differant optimum size for effeicent operation.

I reccommend the evaporative cooling system to cool as this system will save bucketloads of electricty, most reverse cycle systems have good marketing attached to being effeicent. I know of 2 installations in Sydney who were very worried about evaporative systems up there but are stoked at how good they are; but the unit must be sized correctly to cope (this is where installers fail, they think that a same size unit will do the same size house in a differant area, but it won't!) I can pass on the info of the Sydney owners, let me know. Finally you will have already encounted the Fridgy resistance to evaporative systems, this is due to the intence marketing support the manufacturers give the industry just open the yellow pages to see, but they will say, nah mate swampys don"t work!! regards Michael