When my husband and I bought our home in Springfield, Missouri, we were delighted by the location.
The property is quite large and private. The home was built in the late 1800’s and features the original hardwood floors, doors and moldings. There is a wide front porch, high ceilings, big windows and a truly gorgeous staircase with a carved banister. After moving in, our biggest complaint with the house was the difficulties with heating and cooling. Springfield sees temperatures from the teens into the high eighties. Temperature control is extremely important. The former owners of the home got by with an assortment of window air conditioners, box fans and electric baseboard heaters. They were not sufficient to provide ideal comfort, looked horrible and cost a fortune to operate. Because the house was not outfitted with a conventional duct system, there seemed to be no way to install a centralized heating/cooling setup. I did some research and consulted with a local HVAC company in Springfield. The contractor suggested that we retrofit a high-velocity heating/cooling unit. This innovation is designed specifically for historical homes and features mini-ducts. The ducts are only two inches in diameter and flexible. They were able to be snaked through existing walls and around plumbing and electric wires without causing disruption. The vents are only six inches in diameter and blend unobtrusively into the decor. The high-velocity system uses a process called aspiration, delivering heated or cooled air into the rooms at a very high rate of speed. It creates a gentle suction that effectively mixes old and new air and quickly raises or lowers room temperature. The shorter run times, smaller ducts and insulated ducts keep monthly costs quite low.