Good substitute for the central air and heat option?

Question

my husband and i just found out that it would cost us up to 12 grand to get central air and heat installed in our house...so we are looking for a different route that would be alot more cost efficient!! we have window air units but the only heater we have is a natural gas deerborne! we have a baby on the way due jan. 1st and i'm concerned about it being too cold in the house for him when he goes to his nursery!!! help please!!

Answer 1

We were fortunate to have a hot water base board heating system which runs off our oil furnace. The furnace gives us more than ample hot water for all the household needs. It heats the house better than any hot air system . During the hot periods we have resorted to using fans and have cut the use of the large wall unit air conditioner. Window and stand alone fans have been great so far although we have experienced just 5 days in the mid 80s or higher.

Answer 2

Yes, get more estimates. Even here in SoCal you can get an entire system for 8-9K. And make sure the estimates all include the same make, BTU, tonnage, etc. Apples to apples in other words. And invest a little more in updating your weatherstripping on doors and windows. Don't wanna lose all that nice new AC.  

Answer 3

Your cost-estimate for installing central heat and air is very high, and you might want to shop around.  But, since you've asked for alternatives, alternatives I will give you.

Old style wood-burning stoves are among the most cost-efficient means of heating a house.  People are still buying them new, and not just because they also look very stylish.  They've been used for hundreds of years and work great.

As for cooling, you may want to consider an evaporated cooler (evap) unit if you're in a dry area.  I see them all the time as a real estate appraiser in Southern California, and they're much more powerful than window a/c.  They don't really work if you're in a high moisture area.

If you live in a more moderate climate area, you might consider a heat-pump, which shifts heat from one area to another.  Ground heat-pumps are a neat idea and both environmentally friendly and super-efficient and work for both heating and cooling a home.

Each of those will cost much less to run than central heat and air, as well as having lower initial costs.

Somebody else mentioned hot-water baseboards, aka hydroponic heating.  That works very well too, but can be a bear to install, but it couldn't hurt to look into.  And of course, you can always get the old electric wall heaters, although I'd avoid them as their life expectancy isn't very long and they look and work terribly.

Answer 4

If the bid is with all new ductwork it is not too high.

Get a bid for a ductless heatpump for your childs room.

That'll only be around 4 grand.

www.Friedrich.com

Answer 5

Many people like central heat and air. We had electric wall heaters one time. We spent several thousand putting in Natural Gas Central Heat and Air. Did we save? No. This is so true.

Our gas and electric was much higher!

Answer 6

One thing to consider is that the price of natural gas is very high right now so you might be ahead money-wise just to go ahead and spend the 12,000. Also a newer system would most likely be more energy efficient and save you money in the long run on electricity and definitely save you money on your gas bill. Maybe you could look at just having electric heat installed instead without the central air or even a wood burning stove? One plus side to having the central air and heat installed is that it will add quite a bit of value to your home. A home is an investment and anything you do like that definitely ups the value. Houses with central air are twice as more likely to sell than without. Also be sure to get several quotes before deciding on any one installer. You could possibly save a few thousand dollars that way. Good luck and congrats on the new baby :-)

Answer 7

good luck with this!!

Answer 8

You should look  into mini split systems . no duct work needed ,not in the conventional sense  anyway . also they can be installed by you and your partner if you are handy to save money .a few links for ideas below

Answer 9

When I recently went on vacation up north, each hotel room had a heating cooling unit in the wall under the picture window, and I thought to myself, that's what I need instead of a central system with all of that duct work and all.

So, why don't you guys look into something like that? I'm going to.

Edit: Thank you, wicket35.

Answer 10

It aint cheap to be cool, or have kids

Answer 11

get more estimates, that's too much

Answer 12

I just take a cold shower when I get real hot.