Air Conditioning: Cool old houses

Reviewed by:
The Old House Web

On a sweltering summer night without air conditioning, the romance of an old house can go right out the window. Window units are noisy and can mar the look of an historic home. Conventional central air conditioning requires ductwork, and often means sacrificing original woodwork and ceilings. SpacePak's line of high-velocity, central cooling systems was developed especially for homes without sheet metal duct work.

The system uses small-diameter flexible ducts which are threaded between floors, through ceilings and down walls, rather than larger sheet metal ducts that would require major structural carpentry and would alter the appearance of the home. A quiet blower unit, small enough to fit inside an attic, basement, or crawl space, runs the system. For winter warming, the system can be heated through a hydronic (hot water) coil, electric coil, or a heat pump with selected models.