The Off Topic Topic

[The Brain]

Apparently it is the normal modern way in countries that send people home because it's too hot.

Heating people wouldn't really help with that.
When I was in japan I learned that using AC to heat was a terrible and inefficient thing to do. Most people use kerosene heaters or various forms of electric heater

[Josquius]

http://www.survivingnjapan.com/2010/11/guide-to-heaters-in-japan.html?m=1

[The Brain]

Now I have a headache.

[lustindarkness]

We have a heat pump central cooling/heating, works great in summer, pretty good in winter.

[Caliga]

We have a heat pump central cooling/heating, works great in summer, pretty good in winter.

My old house had a heat pump.  Works great in the summer, but not so great in winter.  If we were in Alabama a heat pump would have made more sense since it's colder in the winter up here.

New house has a more traditional forced air system.

[crazy canuck]

I have natural gas fireplaces and radiant floor heating throughout the house.  That works very well when it is cold.  We have no A/C at all and that normally isn't a problem because summer temperatures are normally moderate.  But this year has been a significant exception.  If we have many more summers like this I am going to look at installing an A/C system of some sort.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Bah, we hit 100 early June.

Still not up to 100° yet

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Because you generally either heat with a furnace or a heat pump.  A heat pump doubles as AC.

What do you consider a "furnace"?  Most setups I am familiar with have both cooling coils and either heating coils (electric) or a burner (gas) in the same air handler.  Only one of the two is active at one time, obviously.

My condo used what is known as a two-pipe system.  The building had a master chiller and master boiler.  Hot or cold water was piped to the units, where it went through a heat exchanger to heat or cool the air.  The system had to be switched over twice a year.

[Admiral Yi]

What do you consider a "furnace"?  Most setups I am familiar with have both cooling coils and either heating coils (electric) or a burner (gas) in the same air handler.  Only one of the two is active at one time, obviously.

My condo used what is known as a two-pipe system.  The building had a master chiller and master boiler.  Hot or cold water was piped to the units, where it went through a heat exchanger to heat or cool the air.  The system had to be switched over twice a year.

I didn't know that.  I thought gas or oil-fired units could only produce heat.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

I didn't know that.  I thought gas or oil-fired units could only produce heat.

To be clear, the gas is just generating heat; the refrigeration compressor is a separate, electrical unit.  The heat in this system is a bolt-on to the air handler.  This setup is common in the South and other places where heating is not really necessary.  I don't even run the heat most of the winter, because the house usually stays at about 68 on its own.

[Eddie Teach]

Central hearing is the normal modern way to heat (it has been around a while but still going fine).
I've only seen those low down air pump things in some older mid 20th century houses.

Come again?

You heated him the first time.

[Syt]

Q: How does a porn star call in sick`
A: Sorry, I can't come today.

[Malthus]

I have natural gas fireplaces and radiant floor heating throughout the house.  That works very well when it is cold.  We have no A/C at all and that normally isn't a problem because summer temperatures are normally moderate.  But this year has been a significant exception.  If we have many more summers like this I am going to look at installing an A/C system of some sort.

There are various options for that, if you don't already have ducts. I went with a ductless wall-mounted unit, because my house is relatively small & compact and it was easy to have installed.

[Ideologue]

In Pittsburgh, I'm probably gonna have gas heat. The alternative is a radiator. Either way, I expect to die, it's just a choice of kinds of explosions.

[Admiral Yi]

Throg no like fire.