My house is a similar size in Syracuse, so we have more heating days than you. But, I would also be concerned about putting an HVAC unit in the attic. That will be outside the insulated envelope of your home, subjecting the unit to the cold and heat that's outside. The unit might be ok with that, but pulling air out of the house into the uninsulated/unconditioned attic, then heating/cooling it, and pushing it back into the conditioned portion of the house is going to tend to give you conditioned air that is closer to the outside temp than what you are looking for. Plus leaks in the ducts will send your expensive conditioned air into the attic. At least leaky ducts in the basement leak the conditioned the air in the house. I agree with the poster who suggests that you do as much insulation as you reasonable can. Not just for the money savings but also for the comfort of your home. We have spray foam in our 2x6 walls and it's great. I can sit by the window in a T-shirt with the cold wind whipping and be comfortable. The other thing I did that I am happy with is during construction I would come into the house on the weekend and spayfoam (the cans you buy at home depot) all the holes and seams that the contractors did a poor job filling - and there were a lot of them. I probably used dozens of cans. And that was on top of what the builder did. Good luck!

What you are describing is called the rule of thumb for HVAC sizing. It is the wrong way to do it and results in systems that are over sized. It is a form of guessing in my opinion. This is the way HVAC contractors who are lazy and can't be bothered to spend the time to calculate the requirements of your house. Over sized systems cost more to install, are inefficient, noisy, uncomfortable, and die prematurely. The only positive is they are more profitable for the HVAC contractor. I would not install a humidifier unless I really needed it. Are you currently having low humidity problems? Low humidity is usually a sign of leaking windows and doors. The steam humidifiers are supposed to be the best.

Hey, another Anchorage visitor to the site. :-) I also had a Weil-McLain GV boiler installed recently. (Mine was just over a year ago.) The link below shows the model. My boiler was not equipped with an Outdoor Reset module 'out of the box', but Klebs installed it with one and it works beautifully. (Taco controller set.) My cycle times are around 1 ~ 2 minutes with a 15° differential. (If I remember correctly, the size is 70k BTU, which is half the size of the original boiler and still a touch large for my home.) The Taco module really took over almost all the functionality of the boiler's own controller. My system runs a lot, but that's because it's running at a low water temperature right now. (Around 145°.) You should pop the top cover off your boiler and watch the lights on the controller when you expect it to do a short cycle. Maybe it will give you a clue as to why it stops. Perhaps the flame didn't ignite on time or the air pressure switch didn't give the right reading? The Outdoor Reset module is definitely an add-on for this boiler, but it works well. My gas bill arrived today and came in at $85.00. Last month was $42. A co-worker of mine had Klebs install the Lochinvar-Knight (most expensive boiler offered) and her gas bill this month was over $100, so I'm not feeling to shabby about my GV! Side note: When was the last time you placed oil in the cups on the blower motor? Send me a message through the web site! I could Email you a picture of the Taco controller and explain how it works. Here is a link that might be useful: Weil-McLain GV

You've probably never been in a home with properly sized ductwork. Don't feel bad, it's estimated that as much as 3/4 of the heating and cooling systems in the US are oversized. 2 stage and modulating furnaces are better, but I've lived in a home with both, and both can be very comfortable and the single stage equipment doesn't make it feel more dry that I can tell. BUt you are correct, multistage cna reduce the sense of dryness you might get with a less than ideal system. THe RH of hot air is lower than cooler air, but cool air can make things feel drafty. That's why radiant heat is popular. You essentially have very, very low air velocities and much of the heat energy is indirect infrared heat which make you feel warmer, similar to direct sunlight. Keep in mind too, that unless you have an outdoor rest control for hte boiler or to sped up or slow the circulator, most hydronic air handlers are single stage for heating. So the heat is no different than a furnace. Worse, as you reduce BTU's to the coil, the airflow speed is usually ocnstant, so air temps get cooler. My point being, that a properly designed and installed furnace won;t make it feel dry even if single stage. But yes, oversized furnaces and those with restricted airflow can. Vairble capacity will always make the system more comfortable, but it will cost more. Radiant heat overall is superior, but the installed cost is much, much higher. That's why it fell out of favor. Same reason drywall took over the market and plaster disapeared. ITs' primarily a matter of cost. It's also why stone and brick homes aren't built anymore and concrete homes are the minority.