wrote in message
...
I've seen those hoses zigzagging under floors in engineering magazines
and I shudder to think about leaks. I had posted a question why they
don't use inert gases like freon instead of water in case of leaks.
(Yes, freon is probably better for cooling than heating, but the type
of gas can be adjusted.)

What inert gas can carry the heat that water can?



Further, I'd bet (not sure) the insulation used on any water pipes
will create some sort of dust hazard when it deteriorates.

Now, as I've lived in a forced air house since 1965, I'll tell you the
ducts do collect dust. And I've been in office buildings where cooling
condensate was speculated to collect respiratory microbes.

Commercial cooling systems with water are rarely used in a residential
setting.


And I have
nosebleeds when we forget to fill the humidifier with water.

You need an automatic fill. Oh, that can cause flooding.


Futher,
the thermostat measures the temperature at one point, which may be ten
to fifteen degrees different form some other point in the house.


Design flaw. The system was not properly balanced.

But as I have a lot of books and papers, I would prefer the forced air
because of fear of flooding. In fact, if i were designing a new house
I would firewall the bathrooms and kitchens in one corner to prevent
their flooding the other rooms.

It can happen, but is rare in a properly maintained house.