Re Mike: You might be mixing me up with âÂÂTigerâÂÂ; IâÂÂll take that as a compliment. âÂÂThis an elaborate system to heat water.â An elaborate system to inexpensively heat water and heat/air-condition your home. This will be about the most expensive way to go up front but the life cycle and operating costs are extremely low by comparison when executed properly. Think about it this way, per equal volume, water delivery is 3,500 times more efficient than force air delivery and the HP will have a COP of about 4 irrespective of outdoor conditions. In the case of the OP, their entire distribution system can be kept as is if in good repair, no money spent on tearing it out and replacement. Given the size of the property, perhaps a horizontal ground loop might be possible for less than the cost of vertical drilling. When they complete their new addition another zone can be added to the existing geo HP system for VERY little money. It would hardly be more than another manifold and either a pump or zone valve plumbed into the existing buffer tank (see linked manual again). Water heated to about 120F instead of 140F with free DHW when in A/C mode. You always have to look at the total cost differential between conventional and geo, including rebates & tax credits, along with life cycle and energy costs. If gas isnâÂÂt used as an alternate backup fuel, the cost of installing the gas line could be put into the ground loop. In the end everyone does what they perceive is best for them. Were the installation manual plumbing schematics clear and helpful? IMO SR

We pay for one visit (twice a year) to service both HVAC systems. We do pay for two Aprilaire filters and two flow-through humidifier filters per year. (I buy them online.) The annual contract to inspect two systems isn't *double* the cost for one. The amount of ducting is the same as for one. Each furnace is sized to heat/cool/humidify it's own area of this long-ish, single-story home in the Chicago area. Two thermostats keep each area comfortable. (If one fails, the other can keep us going until a weekday, even at times like this, where we're to go from 9F at night up to 27F.) We had many electrical failures in our old home of thirty years. Twice we feared frozen pipes during long outages. We paid $250/night to stay in the only nearby hotel that accepted pets -- and that we could reach in those storms. We haven't had electrical troubles here, but we did price a small-capacity, natural-gas-fired generator. It would cost more than a new furnace -- and would have its own maintenance issues. This house is 15 years old. It's 2900 sq ft. with three full baths. Each water heater *can* be isolated. However... I am evidently capable of using half our total, two-tank capacity when I shower -- since that's how I knew one tank was failing! (I have other redeeming qualities. LOL) I don't think this is quite the extravagance some of you thought it was. I posted this as a possible consideration for new builds.

@tiffany66 - Why are you bumping a 2 year old thread to take issue with a 2 year old post about a house that was purchased 5 years ago? However, without knowing more information, I don't think your analysis is correct. Houses are always sold as-is, this is why buyers typically do some sort of due diligence before finalizing the purchase. However, most states require sellers to disclose certain information about the property that may not be easily discoverable by a buyer. So while houses are sold as-is, sellers are not allowed to lie on required disclosures. In this particular situation, the only likely recourse the buyer has is against the original seller for their failure to disclose. It is doubtful that the heirs redid the disclosure forms when the acquired the property and if they did they likely were advised to simply mark unknown for every disclosure (any competent realtor would advise that). So, while the original seller is deceased, the action is still against the original seller's estate for his/her failure to disclose. It would not be against the heirs as they had no omission. Since this post was made three years after the purchase (and death of the seller) then it is unlikely there is still an estate to take action against. I doubt taking action against the inspector is going to be beneficial either, as it has been three years. Furthermore, none of the problems look actionable anyway. The inspector can't see how the basement wall was installed, unless there is cracking the no corner bead is a non-issue, etc. Largely this just seems like someone who bought an old house with very typical old house problems and now doesn't want to deal with old house issues so wants someone else to be responsible... Case in point... 1. Roof has 3-4 layers 2. Small patch of Asbestos above HVAC 3. 200amp grounded circuit breaker with knob and tube wiring, exposed wires, etc. 4. exposed wiring in attic closet Didn't seem like too bad of a list I mean... that is a pretty bad list. Asbestos, a bad roof, and knob and tube wiring. If we can find a foundation problem, the OP can win Money Pit Bingo.

FYI: The house was built in the late 1940s, and the renovated walls pictured above were put in sometime before 1992. I am a bit nervous that a test will reveal asbestos above EPA limits and that will lead to costly remediation. No idea how much abatement of three walls of drywall with asbestos would cost or what my insurance would say. Might have to bite the bullet and have the cleaning team just do the flood cut. I called a local asbestos test company, and the expert there told me, “should be ok.” Of course, when I asked the cleaning crew how they would cut the drywall, they told me they would just saw across the wall. Anyway, the vast majority of people whose opinions I have sought have said they would just do the cut.