Need opinions on heating/AC setup

[Anonymous]

I’m in need of HVAC/heating experience and opinions. We are having to address the heating and AC throughout our house. Here is the current (weird) setup. Our house has 4 floors.

The top two floors are cooled through an A/C unit in the attic. The second floor is heated through older radiators, with hot water coming from a gas-fueled boiler. (No heat on 4th floor). Our first and second floors are heated and cooled using forced air from air handler – but the air handler actually uses piped-in hot water from the boiler to heat. (There’s a jerry-rigged pipe that leads from the boiler to the air handler.)
The whole system needs fixing but we have gotten many competing opinions on how to do this.

Option 1) Keep the setup as it is, and just replace all the parts. New boiler, new air handler, new A/C in attic.
Option 2) Eliminate the boiler. Instead get a gas-fueled furnace/AC unit to heat the bottom two floors. Install a heat pump/AC unit in the attic to heat and cool the top two floors. Can remove radiators on second floor.

Does anyone have any insight as to what might make sense or opinions on what works and doesn’t work best?

[Anonymous]

Bump? Anyone?

[Anonymous]

It's a good idea to have heating. Especially when it's cold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a good idea to have heating. Especially when it's cold.

Ha. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

OP your set up is very confusing. Why can't you just put the whole house on one system with two separate HVACs zoned?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP your set up is very confusing. Why can't you just put the whole house on one system with two separate HVACs zoned?

I think the issue is that the ducts on the top two floors don't connect down to the basement where the big equipment lives.

[Anonymous]

Option 2 is the right way , I would be put off this system as a buyer. Rad heating is bad but this is a really bad mix of things.

[Anonymous]

Is your home a year down candidate? When you sell would a buyer be looking at the lot more than ductwork?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is your home a year down candidate? When you sell would a buyer be looking at the lot more than ductwork?

Not sure what that means - but we only just bought the house last summer. ARRGH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is your home a year down candidate? When you sell would a buyer be looking at the lot more than ductwork?

Not sure what that means - but we only just bought the house last summer. ARRGH.

Ie, before you invest $$$$ on bringing heating/cooling into modern age, make sure that the future buyers would value it or if they would not care because they will be building new.

If money is tight, you can them upgrade just what works for you not the 'right' thing investment wise.

[Anonymous]

I like radiators much better than forced air, but everyone has her own preferences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is your home a year down candidate? When you sell would a buyer be looking at the lot more than ductwork?

Not sure what that means - but we only just bought the house last summer. ARRGH.

Ie, before you invest $$$$ on bringing heating/cooling into modern age, make sure that the future buyers would value it or if they would not care because they will be building new.

If money is tight, you can them upgrade just what works for you not the 'right' thing investment wise.

We'll be here a while, so I just want to do what is best for us - doubtful if we'll get the return on investment so directly.

[Anonymous]

what's wrong with the system now?