Do I Need to Upgrade My HVAC System for a Home Addition?
Whether you’re adding a second family room, a guest space or enlarging the kitchen, having extra square footage in your house is sure to be handy. Just remember to think about the heating and cooling requirements of the new space. One of those factors should involve whether you should upgrade your HVAC system for a home addition in Savannah. Our guidebook will help you as you take the first step in the process.
Option 1: No Upgrade Required
If the home addition calls for expanding a room rather than adding completely new rooms, you may not need to improve the HVAC system at all. This is often the situation if your heating and cooling equipment was too big when they were installed. Schedule a load calculation from a pro technician, like one from Coastal Service Experts by calling 912-208-2399. This will figure out if your existing HVAC setup can handle the modifications you’ve made to your home.
Option 2: HVAC System Upgrade
Another option for getting heat and air conditioning into your home addition is to lengthen the ductwork from your present forced-air equipment. If you rely on radiators or baseboard heating, you can extend hot water piping to the new area.
Bear in mind that, adding ductwork or water piping, you could also have to add HVAC equipment to take care of the bigger load. The ensuing increase in electricity use may even need a new electrical panel. If your heating and cooling system requires a replacement soon, this may be perfectly acceptable.
Option 3: Add a Ductless Mini-Split
Rather than installing a new equipment to handle the extra area, you can put in a separate one. Ductless mini-splits are great for this. They use two parts. There’s a condensing unit that is placed on a slab near your home, much like an air conditioner. Then there’s the small indoor blower that is placed on the ceiling or wall.
Like a central heat pump, mini-split HVAC systems provide both heating and cooling for all-season comfort from one system.
Since it has a wall- or ceiling-mounted air handler, ductwork isn’t necessary. You can even link up to four indoor units with one outdoor unit for zoned heating and cooling in differing spaces in your residence. A ductless mini-split may be the ideal HVAC system for your home addition if:
- Your existing system can’t absorb the added space, and you’re not ready to replace it all today.
- The old and additional rooms have varying heating and cooling needs.
- You want to add air conditioning to your residence without getting or extending the ductwork.
If you need help figuring out which HVAC option is right for you, let Coastal Service Experts give our advice. We have a lot of experience helping homeowners adjust their indoor comfort, with a passion for efficiency and eco-friendly HVAC solutions.
Let us start by doing a load calculation to learn your needs. Then, we can provide cost comparisons for ductwork installation and system upgrades vs. putting in a ductless mini-split HVAC system. We’ll give you all the options so you can make a smart decision. To begin, call at 912-208-2399 to schedule an appointment now!
