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Posted by Mikepier on November 24, 2006, 7:33 am
operabufa@aol.com wrote:
> I'm looking for advice on heating my 100+ year old 3-flat (no tenants,
> just me and my sister).
>
> It is currently heated by cast iron gas space heaters, 1 or 2 units per
> floor, approximately 35000 BTU per heater. The brick building, for the
> most part, has no insulation. It has an unheated glorified crawl
> space, 3-5 feet in height. New windows and doors, so leaking air is
> not a problem.
>
> I'm remodeling the place and my contractor has suggested lowering the
> 10 foot ceilings to install central heat. I don't want to do that, but
> I'm at a loss for alternatives. I'd like to install radiant floor heat
> on the first floor, and gas fireplaces or heaters on the other floors.
> I really like my old space heaters, but my sister doesn't, and we
> should probably replace them anyway. I have a newer space heater that
> doesn't work as well, plus it's downright ugly. Direct vent gas
> firelplaces are being considered, but that requires punching a hole in
> the wall, which I'm not too keen on.
>
> Vent-free gas heaters are out of the question, as the aggrevate my
> respiratory problems. Likewise for any heating system with a fan.
>
> I'm afraid to convert to electrical heat completely, as I have no idea
> what it would cost. Ideally, I would love to have a dual fuel system
> (gas/electric), to be able to take advantage of whichever fuel is
> cheaper. I live in Chicago, and electric rates are due to rise around
> 20% soon.
>
> What are my options? (I plan to stay in this building for another 8-10
> years.)
>
> Karen
In your neck of the woods, I would imagine gas is cheaper to operate in
the long run due to your cold winters in Chicago. The space heaters you
have now, are they the ones mounted in the wall and vents outside?
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