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Restoration Guide: Introduction to Heating and Plumbing

Jeffrey Anderson

Editor's Note: This is article 1 of 16 in Chapter 8: HVAC and Plumbing of Old House Web's Home Restoration Guide. This guide was developed and edited for old homes from original materials in the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Rehab guide.

1. INTRODUCTION

The HVAC/Plumbing Reference is Part 8 of Old House Web's edited version of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Rehab Guide. As with the previous 7 sections, Old House Web has edited the HUD Rehab Guide to make it more useful for homeowners, contractors, and architects who might be involved in the restoration or preservation of an old house. This reference provides links to other articles and reference sources which can provide detailed information and instruction on each phase of an old home restoration.

The HVAC/Plumbing Reference discusses many situations you may encounter with heating, cooling, and plumbing systems while working on an old house. It provides advice on the rehabilitation and restoration of existing systems, and offers options for the installation of new systems when more appropriate. Modern systems offering energy efficiency are discussed as possible replacements for outdated old house systems. The HVAC/Plumbing Reference is divided into 16 sections to make it easier to use as a reference tool.

Table of Contents:

  1. INTRODUCTION
  2. HVAC DESIGN & ENGINEERING
  3. DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
  4. HEATING
  5. COOLING
  6. HEAT PUMPS
  7. INDOOR AIR QUALITY
  8. CONTROLS
  9. FIREPLACES & CHIMNEYS
  10. DOMESTIC HOT WATER HEATING
  11. PLUMBING DESIGN & ENGINEERING
  12. WATER SUPPLY & DISTRIBUTION
  13. DRAIN, WASTE, & VENT SYSTEMS
  14. FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEMS
  15. APPLIANCE VENTS & EXHAUSTS
  16. FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS

The first sections review the types of heating systems you may encounter while working with an older home restoration. The HVAC Design & Engineering section and the Distribution Systems section discuss the design principles of heating and cooling systems, and the various methods available for dispensing conditioned air throughout an old house.

The Heating section examines various heating systems found in old houses, rehabilitation thoughts, and options for replacing out-of-date systems with more efficient systems. The Cooling section and the Heat Pump section discuss methods for adding cooling sources.

Indoor Air Quality offers ways to improve the quality of the indoor air of an old house, most of which were not available when many older homes were constructed. The Controls section provides options for maximizing your energy dollar with modern heating and cooling controls.

The section on Fireplaces & Chimneys should be of particular interest to those involved in an older home restoration. Safety concerns and issues are discussed, and methods of restoring and modernizing fireplaces and chimneys are reviewed.

Domestic Hot Water Heating looks at how water was heated in older homes, and provides methods of modernizing the hot water heating system in an old home renovation. Plumbing Design & Engineering provides insight into how the plumbing system worked in an old house, and considers whether the preservation of the old plumbing is the best choice.

Water Supply & Distribution Systems and Drain, Waste, & Vent Systems discuss methods of modernizing the plumbing in an old house, and how to bring the supply and drain arrangements up to modern code during your remodeling.

The Fuel Supply Systems section offers guidance on the various types of heating fuel used by heating and cooling systems, and offers possibilities for accessibility to the systems.

The last two sections of the HVAC/Plumbing Reference discuss important systems which are seldom found in an old house. Appliance Vents & Exhausts reviews methods of ducting modern appliances, and how these modern conveniences might be added during an old home restoration. Fire Protection Systems examines fire safety issues in an old house, and methods for early alert to possible hazards.

Sources for the HVAC/Plumbing Reference

Information for the HVAC/Plumbing Reference was gathered from professionals in the construction industry, vendors, and manufacturers who supply the construction and remodeling industries. Content was also obtained from construction and remodeling industry publications, reports, conferences, and trade shows.

About the Author

Jeffrey Anderson has a Degree in English from V.M.I. and served as an officer in the Marine Corps. He worked in Residential and Commercial construction management for 25 years before retiring to write full time.



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