For quite a few years, I lived with ancient radiators in every room.
The radiators were rather bulky and extremely ugly.
They took up a significant amount of space and required the furniture to be arranged to accommodate them. Because the radiators became dangerously hot whenever they ran, I worried about the kids and the dog getting burned. I assumed that replacing the radiators would be a messy, expensive and invasive project. Eventually, I was willing to do just about anything to get rid of them. I contacted a local HVAC contractor and asked for a recommendation and estimate. He told me that the boiler installed in our basement was still in very good shape and could be expected to operate reliably for quite a few more years. The boiler heats up water and sends it through a series of pipes that were connected to the ancient radiators. The contractor told me that I could easily update to either baseboard heaters or modern radiators. The advantage of baseboard heaters is that they are installed around the perimeter of the room and right near the floor. Heat is provided from every direction and rises very slowly. This creates a consistent and comfortable room temperature without drafts or cold spots. Although modern radiators are streamlined and fairly attractive, I chose baseboard heating. The system is wonderfully unobtrusive and operates silently. I am not limited in how I arrange the furniture. The baseboard heaters never become dangerously hot to the touch. Plus, the system allowed for the easy set up of zone control.
Cooling