HVAC Options For Log Siding Homes

There are many options for heating and cooling your log siding home or cabin. Although your budget is probably the most important consideration, you must also consider:                                    

• Cost of equipment
• Installation costs
• Type of equipment
• System durability
• Energy efficiency
• Noise level
• Your climate

The following ideas will help you choose the right HVAC system for your log home.

Log Siding Home HVAC System Installation

Wood log siding homes provide the full log look without the full log price. It is also much easier to install an HVAC system in a log siding home. Since the siding is secured to conventional wall framing, installing electrical wiring and plumbing is easier and faster. This eliminates a lot of drilling and channeling out the full logs in many places. Placing ductwork is also simplified and less costly.

Heating and cooling a wood log siding home is not much different than a brick, stucco, or vinyl siding home. With just a few modifications in the siding and trims, you can have an efficient hard-working HVAC system that meets your home needs.

Air Conditioning Options

Air conditioning systems keep us cool while removing excess humidity from the air. There are four conventional ways to cool a house with air conditioning that include:

• Central forced-air conditioning rates 5/5 and is best for whole-house cooling
• Mini-split ductless units rate 4/5 and work best in homes that lack ductwork
• Window units rate 3/5 and work well in smaller rooms with one unit for each room
• Portable units rate 2/5 and work best if you cannot install the other 3 systems

Central air and mini-split ductless systems improve the monetary value of a log siding home but window and portable AC units do not. The two keys to efficient cooling are selecting the right size AC unit and installing it correctly. A reputable HVAC business helps you select the best type, size, and brand system for your needs in your climate.

Heating Options │Old And New

Now, on to heating your log home during the colder months of the year. Before modern fuels, stoves and furnaces used wood and coal for heating. Although coal is essentially a bygone-era product, wood is still used in wood-burning stoves and fireplaces. They can heat rooms more evenly with a blower or fan. These are the most common heating systems now in use:

• Natural gas central heating furnace
• Propane gas central heating furnace
• Oil-burning central furnace
• Heat pumps
• Hot water systems
• Electric furnaces
• Radiant floor heating
• Electric baseboard heaters
• Portable heaters

“It is also much easier to install an HVAC system in a log siding home.”

Cooling With Fan Options 

Fans can be used in combination with air conditioning units or as a stand-alone cooling method. When used when the air conditioning is running, you can raise the thermostat temperature and turn on the fans to lower energy bills. When it’s not as hot, you can run the fans only. Here are some common fan options for log homes:

• Large ceiling fans mounted high in vaulted or cathedral ceilings
• Standard size ceiling fans mounted on 8’ high ceilings
• Whole-house exhaust fans mounted in the attic
• Window fan mounted in an open window blowing in
• Window fan mounted in an open window blowing out (exhaust)
• Stationary or oscillating floor fan

The choice of fans depends on your temperature tolerance, the size of your house, the season, and your energy budget. One hundred years ago people would put a large block of ice in a metal tub and blow a fan over it – it worked.

Log Siding Home HVAC System Maintenance

Maintaining heating and cooling equipment is the lifeblood of its performance and longevity. Neglecting your system’s maintenance needs will cause problems sooner or later. Here are some tips from experts that will keep you more comfortable and prolong your HVAC system:

• Change the filters regularly – more often in the summer and winter
• Use the best quality filters you can afford
• Let an HVAC technician inspect and maintain your system each year
• Vacuum out the ductwork once each year
• Clean out the outside AC unit every spring
• Eliminate clutter around your inside furnace area

Home heating and air conditioning systems use more than half of the annual household energy consumption. Keeping your HVAC system in top running condition saves a lot of money on energy bills, repairs, and replacing equipment.

Resources And References:

• Home Cooling Systems
• Home Heating Systems