On 30 Jan 2005 05:36:47 -0800, Lesley wrote:
Isn't that like asking the fox to recommend a type of lock to use for
the hen house doors?
I only ask because I too will be making a choice this summer. I have
no central heating system in my house and after the winter is over and
I can think clearly, I will have a system installed in my house. No
way can I see letting the guy who is going to earn money from the job
make the decisions about what I should or shouldn't have. That is just
a blatant conflict of interest! The original poster asked the same
question I'm asking now--isn't there some industry standard information
sources that a person can read to learn about each choice and make
their own decision--at least about what TYPE of system to put in (i.e.,
baseboard, radiant, forced air, etc.).??
Lesley
Learn, learn, learn.
If you want to increase your odds, you need to become knowledgable THEN
trust the guys to do their job. Use the knowledge to filter out the hacks.
Talk to friends and neighbors and check out their installations.
I've not seen centralized references that summarize everything in a tidy
format for you. There are numerous options, each with their relative
benefits, costs, etc. You need to know enough to have a starting point and
find the right specialist. Do you want radiant heat, hot water baseboard,
forced air, ...? Do you want oil, gas, solar, electric, geothermal...?
There aren't many shortcuts. You will have to invest many, many hours
studying the pros/cons of each system type. It's analagous to buying a
vehicle. If you knew nothing about modes of transportation, then walked
into a Hummer dealer, they'd sell you on the virtues of a Hummer. First,
you have to know the options. Do you want an SUV, pick-up, sedan, sports
car, Motorcycle, bicycle, 2 seater, 2WD, 4WD, etc.??? Would you find a
website that could tell you the relative merits of all these different
vehicles?
I'm not trying to be a wise-a**. But the onus is on the consumers to
educate themselves. It takes time, but it's worth it.
The options narrow down quickly once you study them. Your home or budget
may not support certain choices. Soon, you're left with a few choices and
have enough education to ask the pros specific questions. Then, you can
get the contractors to come out and give you their opinions and get
quotations. Without the up-front footwork on your part, you'll be wasting
their time or just blindly trusting them to tell you what's best.
As other posters have suggested, you'll not be as knowledgable as the
pros. But you'll have a starting point and you will be able to see who is
blowing smoke, giving you a better chance of avoiding the obvious attempts
to rip you off.
Warning - do not post questions to alt.hvac. That's a "pro's only" forum.
Stick to groups like this one where there are plenty of other consumers
and pros who are willing to help. But always, spend some time with Google
before asking questions or you're likely to get snarky replies.
Good luck.
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