1927 Federal Revival Home

Unico System Converts A/C Sceptics to True Believers

The Problem

Curt and Kathy Bodamer were sure their 1927 Federal Revival home would never be a candidate for central air conditioning. The 1,600 sf home featured a sturdy brick exterior with interior walls and ceilings of thick plaster on lath. They assumed adding central A/C would mean the need to drop ceilings or build obtrusive soffits and bulkheads to conceal ductwork. Besides the structural and aesthetic challenges posed by their home, they were quite happy with the warm cozy heat provided by the boiler fed radiators and Curt, specifically, thought central A/C would be noisy and uncomfortable. So, each spring and fall he dutifully hauled seven window units back and forth from the basement. However, this solution was troublesome, inefficient, and unsightly so, with Kathy’s urging, he began looking for a long-term fix.

The Solution

Enter Jeff Zofchak and Elio Andreatta and their top contractor, Mike Hills, owner of Hill’s Heating and Cooling. Elio has known the Bodamers for over thirty years and he knew the only solution for central air conditioning and supplemental heating in their home was The Unico System. The three have been selling and installing The Unico System for years and Jeff has designed Unico Systems for a multitude of projects – including a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in North Canton. Jeff determined that the home would be best serviced by two Unico Systems – one delivering conditioned air from the basement to the first floor, and one situated on the third floor delivering air to it as well as the second floor. Jeff designed two 2-ton systems with Unico heat pump coils paired with two ductless outdoor units. This would allow the Bodamers to use central heating in the spring and fall “shoulder” seasons when chilly morning temperatures require the need for immediate heat and firing up the boiler-fed radiators would take too long and overheat the house as outdoor temps warm up during the latter part of the days.

Jeff and Mike were able to solve another problem with the home. The house features an attached garage on a concrete slab that has been converted into a family room. The quote Curt and Kathy received for adding conventional forced air proposed conditioning this space with a wall hung mini split. Instead, Mike used a small utility closet in the kitchen to run the flexible Unico supply tubing to high wall outlets in the shared wall between the kitchen and family room. The tubing is so small and unobtrusive that Curt and Kathy can still store items in that closet with no interference. But perhaps the best result was in the way that The Unico System’s unobtrusive outlets virtually disappear in the home’s existing décor. The first floor receives conditioned air through small round outlets situated in the floors. Where the home has wood flooring, the outlets. are of the same species and stained to match. In the kitchen, where the floor is tiled, plastic outlets were painted to match the tile’s coloring – including painting a grout line to make it blend in even more. Round outlets are located in the second floor room ceilings and slotted outlets are situated in knee walls to supply the third floor guest bedroom and bath. Jeff, Elio & the Hill’s Heating team also had novel solutions for placement of the single air returns for both systems. The lower floor system has one central return located out of the way in a small closet equipped with a decorative grille. The upstairs system’s return is located in the third- floor landing and finished with an elegant, easily serviceable decorative grille.

The Results

While Kathy wasn’t thrilled with the plaster dust during the installation, she was incredibly pleased that no drywall construction was needed and that the outlets all virtually disappear into their environments. For his part, Curt’s skepticism has also disappeared, noting that the system “works great” and they “couldn’t have picked a better year to install the system” with Ohio temperatures soaring in the summer of 2025. The Bodamers were also able to sell all seven of those old, clunky window units at a garage sale as a bonus.