Thank you for your response Tigerdunes. I will definitely check with the bidder on the third party evaporator coil. I specified matched systems having read your prior posts to others extensively, but didn't catch that this evaporator coil wasn't a matching Trane. Thanks. The boiler was sufficient in heating the entire 1200 square feet main floor living space with AND without all the radiators in place. I don't recall the size at the moment, but will check. The HVAC people were all pleased with its size when they looked at it. Because the house is without electric and water service as yet, we are not totally sure the boiler is still in working order. It was not fire damaged, but water from the fire fighters and heat from the fire might have caused some unknown problems, which was another reason to hedge the bet by adding a gas furnace. The second reason for considering a gas furnace, not just A/C is that a realtor who knows the house and its value, - which is considerable for a small house, given its location and craftsman, cedar shingled cottage charm - suggests that some buyers don't like radiator systems, and feels the addition of an alternate heat system and the addition of A/C will be worth it, which is another reason I got the bid for it. The third reason for considering a gas furnace is code compliance, and the cost to do so. The cost of adding hydronic units to the sunroom, pantry, dining room and bath areas to meet code are unnecessary if I install the gas furnace. Anyone wanting to use the radiator system only for heat would have to add these units, or live without them as I did, but code is met with the addition of a furnace. No furnace, and I have to add radiators in the areas mentioned above and detailed below. I agree that a heat pump would be the way to go if we knew for sure that the radiator system was going to be the primary source of heat as it was when I lived in the house. New owners might opt for a forced air system. My question on this is, can a gas furnace be added into the system as cost effectively later as it can be added now with the A/C going in. The new heating system, if installed, l would heat/coo the 1200 sq ft main floor with its 9 ft ceilings, with two registers in the open 950 sq ft unfinished basement. The basement stays cool in summer and warm in winter without additional heating and cooling. The attic space, if developed later, will be heated and cooled with an in-wall, Mitsubishi type system. Trying to run ducts and vents is a problem, which is why we don't have the new proposed system sited in the attic. It would make the attic fairly unusable in a future development as a master suite and sitting room. The ducting layout using the in the basement location has worked well, and the location of cold air returns well placed and spaced. So the attic will not be heated or cooled with this system. In the past, with the boiler, the heat loss from the main floor was enough to keep the attic above freezing, but does not warm it significantly. The attic has 4 large double window sets, 3 large Velux skylights and a 4.0 french door set, and the roof is black, so it stays warm enough on sunny days, and is well ventilated in summer.. The attic floor will be re-insulated at this time, but not the walls or ceiling. The new insulation in the attic floor will be far better than the old, and as I said, the new windows throughout, from basement to attic are a vast improvement in energy efficiency over what the boiler used to have to handle. The 950 sq ft basement is unheated at present, though I believe two registers will be added to this space with the new furnace The basement stays comfortable in winter when the boiler is in operation simply from the hot water pipes to the radiators and hot water heater and warmth of the up stairs. It is is open space, unfinished and only used for laundry and workshop space/tool storage. The dining room radiator was removed from under a south facing bump out window. That window was removed and replaced by an exterior double french door when a new deck was added at the time of the new boiler. The heat loss to this room was noticeable but not enough to be a problem for me, though it would be for others, and it is for code. Each room has to have a heat source, so I either have to put in a register or add a radiator. The bathroom is only 6x7 and is now warmed by the heat/fan which is not sufficient for code. I have a not yet installed hydronic towel bar that gives off 1500 BTU, enough to handle the bath and the small hall adjoining the dining room, bath, bedroom and parlor. If I do the gas furnace, this is unnecessary. At same time the new boiler was installed, a kitchen was installed in a 11x12 ft space that only had a sink and refrigerator with a radiator. An adjoining but separate 6x8 pantry at the south end of the kitchen had a stove and a cabinet. The pantry is also an access corridor to the basement stairs. So in installing a kitchen, I removed the radiator and replaced it with a toe kick radiator under the sink base the fully fitted kitchen. Base and upper cabinets were added to the pantry on the load bearing exterior wall that separated the pantry from the screen 8x8 screened back porch at the other half of the kitchen south wall. The fire that started at the electric service connection into the house was located on the east wall between the kitchen and screen porch, so this area and the attic above it were severely impacted by the fire. In rebuilding this area, the screen porch got a solid foundation, was mostly opened to the kitchen, and serves as a sunroom breakfast area. It is,fully windowed from ceiling to 36 inches above the floor with a door that opens to the deck. The load bearing wall separating the sunroom from the pantry still exists, but the pantry is now open to the kitchen rather than walled off with a doorway. The kitchen toe kick puts out 5,600 BTU and has to handle the kitchen sunroom and pantry area now. If I do not add a furnace, code will require me to heat the sunroom and pantry areas, which I would do with toe kick units under the pantry base cabinets - one venting into the sunroom through the wall and one venting into the pantry. If I add a furnace, this will not be required, we will simply use those areas for the forced air registers. If I do not add a furnace I will have to provide hydronic heat sources for both areas. So, to answer your question 4, the only addition to the heat load that the boiler has covered adequately (1200 sp ft) is the 8x8 fully weatherized and insulated sunroom. If I go with a gas furnace we will add the register(s) for the unfinished basement. I don't know if code requires the basement to be covered. I do know the non living space attic does not need to be covered. Sorry for all the detail, but I find that sooner or later the information is needed, so I am trying to give it all upfront.

hey robin, My hat is off to you for your remodel of your home. I am a HVAC comfort consultant, and I can help you with some advice. #1) I could see you did not like your existing duct. Was it looks or did it previously create hot spots and cold spots in your home to make you uncomfortable? #2) You mentioned fresh air for the summer time, an attic with a closed cell foam insulation you will probably need to bring in some fresh air. Your right about the ac is not needed much, your heat gain will not be as high as someone's home in Texas or Arizona. However, AC is very important during the summer time for Dehumidification as well as providing cool air. Tell me how humid it is near Seattle? A Hydronic system is an option due to your room for construction for your HVAC. You are on a slab, how many floors do you have? Where is your plans for your new air handler or handlers? Zoning with a forced air system would be an option for a slab home. This a very critical time to have a load calc and system design. I'll give you a link for more inforamtion to help yo out. You have your floortype, window/glazing, insulation ceilings, so what youu need is room measurements and orietation and a load calc can be performed. Here is a link that might be useful: ACCA AND ASHRAE CERTIFIED HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING LOAD CALC WITH DUCT DESIGNS

TC: they aren't trying to cheat you as the guys said. When I lived in Seattle, rates were so low that I had to call them since my first 2-month bill was $12. I thought it was a connection fee, but it wasn't. Now, your rates are slightly higher than mine are here in the East. When gas was more expensive a few years ago, the cost difference would have meant more than now. But your gas rates have probably gone down as the electric rates went up (still paying off those 5 nukes that never got built?). The Seattle area has such a mild climate (for being that far north) that heat pumps work just fine. So its not a surprise that they get recommended now that they are more efficient. (And lets not start a war over the definition of efficiency.) Another consideration perhaps. A heat pump will run year round in your location. An AC unit may only run 2-3 months in Seattle, if that much. Hopefully the AC unit will last longer from non-use. Which also means you don't really have to go with the higher SEER number since you are not going to see any ROI. 14-15 would be fine.

Happy to see this subject brought up although I'm sure most building new, didn't make it this far. I think the OP got "shorted" but no worse than most building new in this current building climate. With such a hot market one has to be careful they don't spook the best or only opportunities. I think it's important to get a 2 stage system as a minimum. Getting a properly sized system is much like getting a building envelope to perform at current levels of international energy code. For most people, the best chance is to hire a design and building team who already understand the details from past projects. At this stage of the game it's often too late. Ductwork in a vented attic or low levels of roof deck insulation can effect cooling loads as much as western windows depending on the details. Martin Holladay has the best articles on this topic. Calculating cooling loads and When do I need to perform a load calculation? are free while Who can perform my load calculation? is behind the paywall but relevant here. When builders get experienced with a particular plan, the need for load calcs diminish. For custom designs costing hundreds of thousands, using a third party to help with design, sizing and commissioning can be a wise investment. Some architects and builders include this with their services. Energy Star is the most common way to achieve a better level of verified performance. This goes beyond energy use to include comfort, indoor air quality and durability. The program ensures bath vent fans, outdoor air ventilation systems and kitchen vent hoods are installed properly. With a reported energy savings of $300 a year, simple paybacks are reasonable. Not all HERS raters do load calcs but most can point you in the right direction. If you only care about HVAC system design, hiring the right 3rd party can help. If building in the south, try Allison Bailes with Energy Vangaurd. He has influenced the need for better rules of thumb, like 1 ton per 1000 sqft for homes that meet international levels of energy code. This can be useful when comparing results to what the HVAC contractor wants which is typically closer to 1 ton per 500 sqft. I find HVAC contractors more willing to install smaller systems when they have stamped letters from a mechanical engineer, which in our case is the HERS rater.