What does it mean to have gravity heat?? Is it good to buy a house with this type of heat??
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smackthat27, Gravity heat is a couple steps above a wood stove in your prospective home. Generally speaking the temperature balance in degrees from room to room are not the best. They tend not to be efficient by today's standards. If you can steal this house plan on either hot water or forced air if natural gas is available in front of the house, If there is no natural gas out front I'd honestly pass on this house. If it has oil or propane heat I'd turn and go else where house shopping.
Triple check what type of insulation it has in the sidewall's and between the ceiling joists. If there is no insulation behind the electrical receptacles and little or none in the ceiling walk away from this house.
Be sure the windows are the latest and greatest inert gas filled vinyl type. Great Lakes windows arguably the best there is today do to the fact they are foam filled (better insulation). Certainteed is another great brand but there is no insulation inside the vinyl sliders.
Good luck Shopping!
Gravity heat means no fan if its air, or no pump if it is hot water or steam radiators.
It would be ideal if you were able to check the home out in winter. Installed correctly, these don't have to be uncomfortable. But usually pumps or fans provide more even distribution.
If the home has all of the other qualities you desire, arrange for your preferred heating company to visit the home with you and provide an estimate. Pumps shouldn't be too difficult to add to a hot water system. Air won't be that easy as most likely additional ductwork will be required adding cost. I can't comment about steam as I've never seen these changed over.
That is a simple way of saying the air doesn't circulate. All the warm/hot air will rise to the ceiling, and the floors will remain cool/cold.
A cheap way to fix this is to add a ceiling fan. Looks good, costs little to operate, and will do a fantastic job.
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