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T

temporal anomaly

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Here in Southern California I've come across old homes (usually fixers owned by little old ladies or their trusts) that have little or nothing in the way of heating. They are 70 or 80 year old houses with only small wall-mounted gas units, if anything, and next to no insulation and very old casement or double-hung windows.

If I was to buy one of them (since they are usually cheaply priced relative to nicer homes, but still expensive) how would I go about getting them into a livable condition? It gets up into the 100's in the summer and down into the 30's or 40's at night in winter. For 6K or so I can have a furnace and AC put in, but I have no idea if these are any good, or if adding just a heater/AC is the proper way to go. Especially since at that price I have no idea if the installer is doing anything other than just using some old rule of thumb to select and size the system.

Thanks
 
That question is hard to answer without seeing the property.

Look for somehting with a open basement. You would be able to get central air or heat pump for the ist floor.

Look for something with an area to run ducts up and down for the 2nd floor.
That would get you zoning.

Old homes are hard to figure out. When my sister did hers they stripped it down to the studs to find out what they had to work with.
 
Thanks, but I guess I asked the wrong question.

What I really wanted to know was how to figure out how to find someone to guide me through the process, someone who has more knowledge than a salesman for a local heating and air conditioner company. I've watched some friends trying to fix up a house like the one I mentioned (typically, a one-story bungalow with just a crawl space), and been less than impressed with the contractors that have tried to make bids. They don't mention insulation or window/door replacement, they just try to sell hardware, sheet metal and some cheap immigrant labor. How do I find someone with a broader knowledge and repertoire of solutions without breaking the bank?

--

Phil
 
Hi Phil:
Richard can do the job for you unless you two are too far apart. In that case contact the local vocational school; their instructor will let the students do the figuring for you as a class exercise under his direction. When they are finished he will check their work and clean it up for you. And its all free!
Glenn
 
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