My parents need a lot of help as they get into their 70s.
It’s hard to watch their bodies break down because they were athletic and full of energy while I was a kid. As time went on, their health worsened until my mother was hospitalized for pneumonia one year. When it happened to my father two years later, it sucked life and energy out of them both. Suddenly it was harder just walking to the end of the driveway to get the mail everyday. Luckily, I moved back to my hometown after I finished college, which gives me a chance to help my parents out both physically and financially whenever they need it. The physical work usually involves yard maintenance, changing light bulbs on ladders, and grabbing things out of the attic. Recently their furnace quit working and we’ve been getting quotes to have a new heating system installed before the end of September, well in advance of the winter season. After seeing high prices on fan-forced furnaces, I figured I ought to look at hydronic setups and subfloor heating. I didn’t realize that there are hybrid systems that combine the two. Just like a regular hydronic setup, a steam boiler sends heated water to channels throughout your home to provide radiant heat. With radiant heated flooring, those channels are installed underneath your floors. Even though my parents needed a small loan from me to afford installation, I knew it would be worth every penny. They’re saving every month while staying warmer and more comfortable when it’s cold outside.