Q: We are looking to buy an older house that has a very unusual furnace. The home inspector calls it a gravity furnace, but I think it looks more like an octopus with these large pipes that protrude ...

Two weeks ago, I began a reply to J. McC’s questions about replacing his 1920s gravity warm air furnace (the “octopus”) with a new forced air furnace. He was also concerned about how to find a ...

Q. After living in this 80 year old house for 15 years and suffering through 15 hot and steamy summers, we've decided that this is the year we're going to get air conditioning. Our problem is the ...

Dear Jerry: I have lived in an English Tudor since 1975. It was built in 1928. It has the original octopus furnace with a gas conversion unit and asbestos insulation. I have selected the company to ...

Talk about misplaced priorities: In the name of saving energy, many people think nothing of spending tens of thousands of dollars on replacement windows. But at the same time, they'll willingly limp ...

Q DEAR TIM: We are considering buying an older house that has an unusual furnace. The home inspector calls it a gravity furnace. I think it looks like an octopus, with these large pipes that protrude ...

Nowadays, when you're feeling chilly, you just nudge your thermostat up a few degrees. Not too long ago, you'd have been in for a lot more effort: Until the 1880s, most American houses were heated by ...