luciaadr
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Registered: 11th Aug 04
Location: Bexleyheath, Greater London
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Has anyone got a house with, or had experience with warm air heating?
Went to look at a potential new place today and it didn't have radiators & boiler, it has a huge heating unit that pumps hot air through vents around the property. Probabaly as old as the house, 1970s/80s.
Apparently its meant to be more efficient than radiators. Don't know how true that is
Obvious downside ive seen so far is that the house is extended. The ducting for the air cant (or at least, hasn't) been taken into the extension so I imagine it has a cold kitchen and 4th bedroom.
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Toby
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Registered: 29th Nov 05
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No experience with it but can only imagine that the rooms would get stuffy and dry if all the moisture is removed by pumping hot air around the propety.
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VegasPhil
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Registered: 16th Jan 05
Location: Fareham, Hants Drives: Octavia VRS
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I grew up with it at my parents house. Liked it. Good points - It's quick, quite efficient, looks good (no rads taking up space), reliable,. Downsides are noise of the fan. Although I suppose it's similar to a boiler/pump humming. Blows dust etc around. No good if you have allergies! British Gas used to come round and service it etc. it never actually broke down from what I remember.
My parents have just changed theirs this year. Wouldn't really bother me buying a house with it as long as it has been serviced etc.
They had the house extended to the side and couldn't extend the warm air out due to the ducting etc being up the middle of the house. Instead they had a storage heater put in the extended room.
[Edited on 23-02-2014 by VegasPhil]
Corsa 2.0 16v Vegas - Sold
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Dom
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Registered: 13th Sep 03
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quote:
Originally posted by VegasPhil
I grew up with it at my parents house.
Likewise but it was an electric storage warm air (unit was the size of a large fridge) rather than gas warm air. It was fine when the storage unit had heat, kept the house warm without issue but as with storage heaters, without heat in the system it just blew cold air around so absolutely useless for 'instant' heat. From what i was told, costs to run it seemed ok but it ran on economy 7.
And because the unit was 70's built (full of asbestos etc), it became near enough impossible to find parts. Plus there's only a handful of companies worldwide doing electric storage warm air units so replacement units are stupidly expensive.
If it's electric and you've got gas in the property, then it might be worth looking at replacing the unit for gas warm air - being able to get (near enough) instant heat out it is pretty useful it the cold months.
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luciaadr
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Registered: 11th Aug 04
Location: Bexleyheath, Greater London
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This ones gas, i gather instant warmth is one of the plus points as you say
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VegasPhil
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Jan 05
Location: Fareham, Hants Drives: Octavia VRS
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I wouldn't not buy a house because of it. It's good, just not that common any more.
Hopefully the current homeowner would be able to tell you how they find it in the house and answer any questions about reliability etc.
Corsa 2.0 16v Vegas - Sold
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Robbo
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Registered: 6th Aug 02
Location: London
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my flat in canary wharf had it as part of the aircon system. was a brand new flat mind... cold air was great, warm air system sucked. it did pump out some warm air but in very dry and sporadic bursts... luckily i was on the 14th floor so used the heat from the floors below!
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luciaadr
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Registered: 11th Aug 04
Location: Bexleyheath, Greater London
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We've had an offer accepted on the place, so hopefully the system is good. Assuming it all progresses, we'll give it this winter to prove itself.
Got quoted circa 4-5k to put a wet system in should we want it
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deano87
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Registered: 21st Oct 06
Location: Bedfordshire Drives: Ford Fiesta
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quote:
Originally posted by luciaadr
We've had an offer accepted on the place, so hopefully the system is good. Assuming it all progresses, we'll give it this winter to prove itself.
Got quoted circa 4-5k to put a wet system in should we want it
Unless you're chain free, I don't reckon you'll experience this winter in the home!
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luciaadr
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Registered: 11th Aug 04
Location: Bexleyheath, Greater London
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I meant the winter at the end of this year, I swear it hasn't been cold enough to qualify as winter 
We are chain free though, keeping the current house to rent out
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deano87
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Registered: 21st Oct 06
Location: Bedfordshire Drives: Ford Fiesta
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Fair play
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Rob_Quads
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: southampton
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My parents used to have a system like this. As said it was good as there was no radiators but you had to have quite a few vents to get the right circulation.
They got rid of it around 5 year ago as the radiators were a much more efficient way of heating the house
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deano87
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Registered: 21st Oct 06
Location: Bedfordshire Drives: Ford Fiesta
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Also shite if you suffer from eczema / dry skin.
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