warm air heating

McKneff

Stratus wrote: »

Wam air - some people love it, some hate it. On the positive side it heats the house really quickly so you can come in to a cold house, turn it on and feel the warmth pretty quickly. It's a little more noisy than a wet system but needn't disturb you too much. You gain lots of wall space that would otherwise be taken up by radiators. My parents have such a system and have been happy with it for years.

I love my warm air heating for exactly the reasons above. Its toasty within minutes of coming in. Ours broke down and died about 15 years ago and we replaced the boiler again, which I might add cost nearly as much as a whole wet system. And the noise, like everything, you don't even notice it in time.

I wouldn't swap mine.

Better_Days

I looked into this when I was considering a property with warm air heating. I seem to recall that in some systems there is asbestos in the ducting so that would need to be checked if you are considering removal. Also there are not that many specialist engineers around so you may pay through the nose for repairs and maintenance.

I also seem to recall that it is especially important to get the system serviced every year - presumably because of the potential for build up of dust as the air is pulled through the system.

What would be powering the system in your property? The one we looked at ran on economy 7 which, despite what the vendor said, I suspect was not cheap to run.

Threads here - some people love it!
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3907309
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4157905
I might be wrong about the asbestos in the ducting - but appears to be likely there will be some surrounding the warm air boiler and you will need to check what sort of asbestos it is.
Edit - found this http://www.mesotheliomacenter.org/mesothelioma-news/2002/12/01/asbestos-lined-ducts-not-as-frightful-as-they-sound/
Asbestos may line the ducts

vectistim

Better_Days wrote: »

What would be powering the system in your property? The one we looked at ran on economy 7 which, despite what the vendor said, I suspect was not cheap to run.

Really you found an electrically powered one - I've only ever seen one of those once (non-functioning, as it had been replaced with normal Economy 7 heating, but still there) and it looked to me like it was a 1950s job.

They're normally gas powered.

NowRetired

If the warm air heating is blowing hot and cold it is not set up properly or has faulty/old controls.

My warm air heating, which I have had since 1991 when I bought my new built house, when it first comes on, it does blow out quite a lot of warm air but as the temperature of the house increases the fan slows down and the gas modulates on and off, so that after half an hour or so there is just a gentle flow of warm air coming out of the vents that is hardly noticeable.

This maintains the temperature all the time the heating is on.

The temperature never seems to fluctuate all that much, if any.

And as others say, you lose all that wall space to radiators if you replace it.

As for asbestos, my cupboard isn't lined with it, in fact there is no asbestos in my house in relation to the heating.

holly_hobby

NowRetired wrote: »

As for asbestos, my cupboard isn't lined with it, in fact there is no asbestos in my house in relation to the heating.

Quite possible with a 1991 build, but if the house was built in the 70s or even 80s, then the cupboard housing the actual boiler itself will more than likely have asbestos walls (as did my nanna's and all those on the same estate), largely reqd due to the way in which the boilder operated (and also located in a lot of surveys and reports, I've seen for the same period build and set up).

Which was opening a little windowed door on the unit itself - which was a big grey thing, and lighting the gas inlet with a taper (bit like lighting your cooker !), whilst pushing the trigger button in ( all at the same time !), then slowly letting the trigger button out (too fast and the flame would go out!) and then turning the gas fully on and closing the door, peering through the window and praying it would stay lit (gawd it was like the bloomin generation game getting in on - esp if windy it would keep blowing out as soon as you had it lit !) - your temp control was in the living room on a wall mounted little dial thermostat.

My nanna post radiators, later had the cupboard tested (asbestos positive), removed, bagged and disposed of by a specalist removal co - which as we know, its once the sheeting is cut or damaged in any way, the issues can start with fibre contamination.

Yes, laughed when I read about the metal shafts/air vents and be careful standing too close to the outlets (roasted calfs !) but great for drying clothes and evesdropping .... we spent many a saturday afternoon evesdropping in the living room, when there was a family discussion in the kitchen which kids weren't privvy to, but carried along through the air vents into the lounge !! (ooh happy days they were !!)

You lot have me all reminisant and misty eyed now ... !

Holly xx

Better_Days

vectistim wrote: »

Really you found an electrically powered one - I've only ever seen one of those once (non-functioning, as it had been replaced with normal Economy 7 heating, but still there) and it looked to me like it was a 1950s job.

They're normally gas powered.

Yes, definitely E7, no gas connected to the property, although there is gas in the road. Property has been on the market since Oct 2012 and I think this is one of the reasons (along with poor maintenance and dreadful presentation) that it hasn't sold.

propertyman

In the older systems there was asbestos but many not. Have it tested before proceeding.

We installed ours- the house was a shell- and not rads when we bought, and it enabled us to put in central air conditioning later on- powered by the solar panels.

:money:Consider a humidifier and a filter on the returns to keep down the dust and drying out the home, and people, of very warm very dry air that older models produce.

yorkshire_terrier_owner

tim123456789 wrote: »

OTOH

if you get rid of it, you gain a huge great big storage cupboard

tim

My 60's build house has had it replaced before I bought it for normal GCH and now has a brilliant storage cupboard! One of the reasons I bought the house was its storage!

yorkshire_terrier_owner

Better_Days wrote: »

Yes, definitely E7, no gas connected to the property, although there is gas in the road. Property has been on the market since Oct 2012 and I think this is one of the reasons (along with poor maintenance and dreadful presentation) that it hasn't sold.

House next door but one to me still has it and was on the market for 2 years (at the same time as I bought mine for a similar price). I ruled it out as I could buy a house with GCH already installed (and better presented) for the same money and no hassle of getting the work done. It never did sell and has been taken off the market.

twink22

hazyjo wrote: »

I grew up with it (from age 9 in 1979 to 1991) you could listen in to one room from the one beneath/above where you were (ear to the vent). There were all connected to the same inner metal shaft. I wouldn't be talking about someone unfavourably in a room below or nearby lol! Me and my sis used to eavesdrop on things or talk to each other!

This brought back memories. Me and my brother used to do this!