Whether you’re putting on a second family room, a guest suite or enlarging the kitchen, having additional square footage in your house is sure to prove useful. Just remember to consider 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 Dayton. Our guidebook will help you as you get started with the process.
Option 1: No Upgrade Needed
If the home addition involves enlarging a space as opposed to adding completely new rooms, you may not need to upgrade the HVAC system at all. This is most likely the situation if your heating and cooling system was too big to begin with. Request a load calculation from a professional technician, such as one from Stevenson Service Experts by calling 937-503-7896. This will affect if your current HVAC equipment can handle the modifications you’ve made to your residence.
Option 2: Install a New HVAC System
Another solution for getting heat and air conditioning into your home addition is to add on to the ductwork from your present forced-air system. If you use radiators or baseboard heating, you can extend hot water piping to the new space.
You should know that, along with ductwork or water piping, you may also have to put in HVAC equipment to manage the bigger load. The resulting increase in electricity use might even call for a new electrical panel. If your heating and cooling system needs to be replaced soon, this might be a good option.
Option 3: Install a Ductless Mini-Split
In place of upgrading your existing unit to cover the added square footage, you can put in a separate one. Ductless mini-splits are ideal for this. They have two parts. There’s a condensing system that is placed on a slab near your home, much like an air conditioner. Then there’s the sleek indoor blower that mounts to the ceiling or wall.
Similar to a central heat pump, mini-split HVAC systems deliver both heating and cooling for continual comfort from a single piece of equipment.
Since it has a wall- or ceiling-mounted air handler, zero ductwork is required. You can even link up to four indoor units with one outdoor unit for zoned heating and cooling in different spaces in your house. A ductless mini-split might be the best HVAC option for your home addition if:
- Your existing system can’t take on the extra area, and you’re not prepared to replace every part right away.
- The old and new rooms have varying heating and cooling needs.
- You want to add air conditioning to your residence without getting or lengthening the ductwork.
If you need help figuring out which HVAC option is right for you, let Stevenson Service Experts give our advice. We have a lot 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 doing a load calculation to figure out your needs. Then, we can give cost listings for ductwork installation and system upgrades vs. getting a ductless mini-split HVAC system. We’ll offer you all the possibilities so you can make an informed decision. To get started, contact us at 937-503-7896 to schedule an appointment now!