Whether you’re adding a second family room, a guest suite or expanding the kitchen, having extra square footage in your house is sure to be handy. Just remember to consider the heating and cooling needs of the new space. One of those factors should include whether you should upgrade your HVAC system for a home addition in Raleigh. Our instructions will help you as you take the first step in the process.
Option 1: No Upgrade Required
If the home addition includes expanding a room as opposed to building totally new rooms, you may not need to enhance the HVAC system at all. This is most likely the case if your heating and cooling equipment was too large to begin with. Schedule a load calculation from a professional technician, like one from Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning by calling 919-578-4329. This will figure out if your current HVAC system can handle the changes you’ve made to your home.
Option 2: HVAC System Upgrade
Another solution for delivering heat and air conditioning into your home addition is to lengthen the ductwork from your existing forced-air equipment. If you have radiators or baseboard heating, you can lengthen hot water piping to the new area.
Be mindful that, in addition to ductwork or water piping, you may also have to add HVAC equipment to handle the increased load. The subsequent increase in electricity consumption may even call for a new electrical panel. If your heating and cooling system is due for a replacement soon, this could be perfectly acceptable.
Option 3: Add a Ductless Mini-Split
Rather than installing a new equipment to cover the extra space, you can get a freestanding one. Ductless mini-splits are great for this. They consist of two parts. There’s a condensing system that is installed on the ground outdoors, similar to an air conditioner. Then there’s the small indoor blower that mounts to the ceiling or wall.
Like a central heat pump, mini-split HVAC systems provide both heating and cooling for all-season comfort from one piece of equipment.
Since it uses a wall- or ceiling-mounted air handler, you don’t need ductwork. You can even join up to four indoor units with one outdoor unit for zoned heating and cooling in different parts of your residence. A ductless mini-split may be the ideal HVAC system for your home addition if:
- Your current system can’t handle the added area, and you’re not able to replace every part today.
- The old and expanded spaces have varying heating and cooling needs.
- You would like to add air conditioning to your house without installing or lengthening the ductwork.
If you need help determining which HVAC option is best, let Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning give our suggestions. We have a wealth of experience helping homeowners fine-tune their indoor comfort, with a commitment to efficiency and eco-friendly HVAC systems.
We’ll start the process by performing a load calculation to learn your needs. Then, we can offer cost comparisons for ductwork installation and system upgrades vs. putting in a ductless mini-split HVAC system. We’ll present you with all the possibilities so you can make a smart decision. To start, contact us at 919-578-4329 to schedule an appointment now!