We recently purchased an old house in the Philadelphia area and are encountering a number of "issues" with the the heating/cooling system and insulation. Truth be told, this post probably could show up in three of four different forums. We could use some help/advice on where to spend our limited budget to get the best return on investment.
Here are some details about the house:
Built in 1939
Apprx. 4000 sq ft.
Stone construction
Plaster Walls (uninsulated)
Oil forced air heat (furnace 12 years old)
Air conditioning
One Zone
Attic is insulated with R-30/40 (certain parts need to have additional insulation shot in) and has two huge fans for venilation
Our heating bills were obscene this winter due to high oil costs, but that was to be expected (for reference the house is kept between 65-68 during the winter). We are contemplating the use of a heat pump to help offset those costs at least during the shoulder seasons (january/february are likely too cold to gain any advantage unless we shell out the money for a geothermal heat pump). We are also trying to look at other ways to make the house more heating/ac efficient. So, the following are the questions we have:
1. Is a heat pump a truly viable option in terms of return on investment. If oil stays at its current price or goes up, then it appears to me that the heat pump would at least provide some cost relief during October-December and Mid-March-May. If this is an option- what are a few of the better brands in terms of reliability (assume that we will have a reputable/skilled installer put in the system).
2. Are there options for insulating the walls of the house if we have old-school plaster on wire wall construction? There seems to be some dispute as to whether such an effort is doable/advisable. If it can be done, what are the options, and generally how much would they cost per square foot? What should we look for in a contractor who would install such insulation (assuming it is feasible)?
3. Our ducts in the basement of the house are uninsulated. With the recent heat wave, the AC has been going full bore almost all day (we try to keep the house at 76). We are getting a huge amount of condensation on the duct work (dripping water off of all basement ducts closest to the air handler). Will insulating the ducts (once the metal dries off) help prevent that in the future or, given the basement location,is that unadvisable due to mold concerns? Would the costs of insulating be offset by enough of an increase in heating/cooling efficiency to justify the expenditure?
4. The attic is unfinished and would seem to present the opportunity to install a second heating/cooling unit to create a separate zone. Would it be money well spent to add in a second zone and then put in high-velocity vents (heating and cooling) from the attic to the second floor (forgetting the obvious comfort advantage of having a second zone)?
5. Does running the attic fan when it is particularly hot outside help or hinder our cooling costs? I have seen/heard varying opinions on the use of such fans.
6. The house has old windows, but storm windows as well. Would we be better served spending the money on new windows instead of the heat pump/second zone. If we do not do new windows, rest assured that every window is to be recaulked at the very least.
The budget is rather limited since we just moved in and are still recovering from the initial start up costs. Consequently we are most interested to hear some advice on where best to allocate the funds, as none of the options appear to be particularly cheap and the number of potential options leaves us uncertain as to the most prudent course. Any help is hugely appreciated.
Jonathan
tigerdunes
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snrub1Original Author