Gas and Oil Home Heating Furnaces - Heating for a 3 family home

Long story short, I won the bid on an old 1890 3family unit in my city. The house needs a total rehab, it has been vacant for 10+ years.

I need to figure out what the best and most economical to install system will be. All of the walls and ceiling will be exposed and accessible for running ducts or pipes,

Here are my requirments, at least what i think i want.

1.) There must be 3 Seperate systems, one for each unit.
2.) Heating will be natural gas fueled
3.) I want central A/C on the First floor.
4.) All systems should be located in the basement.

Here are my concerns and questions. I was pricing forced air furnaces vs boilers. Boilers are a bit more expensive and also the baseboard units are pretty expensive per section or ft.

My concern with doing forced air for all the units are the 2nd and 3rd floor units. I am worried that it will be difficult to duct and get all the air up there( yes I know hot air rises).

The way I am figuring 3 furnaces and an AC unit will be the most economical for the mechanicals, but I don't know if running ducts will bring that up to the same level as a hydronic system.

I need advice from the pros, what do most people do? What are some recommendations?

can you put the top floor system in the attic? possibly the middle floor unit in a closet and box in the duct?

I do not think that I can put any units outside of the basement. I believe code is going to require that I put them all in the basement and have the room they are in sprinklered. I was told this by a local contractor.

I have to stop by the building dept and ask some questions on monday so I can know what is/isn't allowed. I know they follow NFPA 101 1997 for fire safety with some ammendments.

I was reading and it may be only required that the rooms that contain the boilers have a fire rating of 1hr on the walls/ceiling. Which then would allow for placement of the furnance upstairs.

For sure get the codes there. I cant see 3 units in the basement for 3 floors up. Think about all the condos there . they all have there heat on their floors. Like hvac4u said. first floor in the basement #2 furnace on its floor and #3 in the attic. Or that old of home. what are the ceilings 10-12ft. could be put in a drop ceiling with the duct work on top of it for the 2 and 3 floors.


ED ;)

AHH not dropped ceilings!!!

I am a big fan of the old historic houses and could never so something like put drop ceilings in the house.

I can meet you have way and consider each unit on each floor.

There are many 3 family homes in my city and a majority are built from 1890-1917. They all have heating units in the basement, many with forced air for all 3 units. This house in fact had a hydronic system in place with old cast iron radiators.

Problem is I don't know how many of these radiators are still in the house and how feasible it is to reuse them. The main boiler must have gone @ some point b/c there are individual room gas heaters in place now.( I think one may have been the cause for the fire in this old place.)

If I find that all of the original radiators are still there can they be easily connected to a modern hydronic system?