Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: ability to heat upstairs W/O installing heat upstairs

[ken (gebser]

On Sat, 25 Mar 2006 12:54:18 -0800 (PST) sga1 [at] humboldt.edu wrote:

> Hi Alfred,
> 
> One of my friends just built a well-insulated, passive solar designed
> house here in Arcata that had radiant floor heating only on the first
> floor. We have a very similar climate to your own, if a tad warmer in
> the winter, and he's happy with his second floor warmth.  I think his
> example is telling because he lives entirely on the second floor,
> while the first floor (where the radiant tubing is) is his bookstore.
> 
> Also, I have spoken with a local architect at length on the topic of
> heating only the first floor of a house and her opinion is strongly
> that it is a workable cost-saving solution.
> 
> Sean

Except for installation and quite minimal maintenance costs, it's hard
to see how there would be any cost saving associated with not
installing heat upstairs.  As a whole, the same amount of heat has to
be produced.  In fact, it may well cost more in fuel because residents
may increase the heat downstairs to force more heat into the upstairs
or to warm the upstairs faster.


-- 
"This world ain't big enough for the both of us,"
said the big noema to the little noema.