Does a Home Addition Call for Upgrading My HVAC System?
Whether you’re putting on a second family room, a guest area or enlarging the kitchen, having additional square footage in your residence is sure to prove useful. Just keep in mind you need to consider the heating and cooling requirements of the new room. One of those considerations should involve whether you should upgrade your HVAC system for a home addition in Atlanta. Our guide will help you as you take the first step in the process.
Option 1: No Upgrade Needed
If the home addition calls for enlarging a room rather than putting on entirely new rooms, you may not need to upgrade the HVAC system at all. This is usually the case if your heating and cooling equipment was too big when they were installed. Request a load calculation from a professional technician, such as one from Peachtree Service Experts by calling 678-235-9699. This will decide if your current HVAC setup can handle the modifications you’ve made to your home.
Option 2: Upgrade Your HVAC System
Another solution for getting heat and air conditioning into your home addition is to lengthen the ductwork from your existing forced-air equipment. If you use radiators or baseboard heating, you can lengthen hot water piping to the new area.
Bear in mind that, adding ductwork or water piping, you may also have to add HVAC equipment to handle the bigger load. The ensuing increase in electricity use may even require a new electrical panel. If your heating and cooling system is due for a replacement soon, this might be perfectly acceptable.
Option 3: Add a Ductless Mini-Split
Rather than installing a new unit to handle the additional space, you can put in an independent one. Ductless mini-splits are great for this. They have two parts. There’s a condensing system that is installed on cement outside, much like an air conditioner. Then there’s the sleek indoor blower that mounts against the ceiling or wall.
Like a central heat pump, mini-split HVAC systems offer both heating and cooling for continuous comfort from a single piece of equipment.
Since it uses a wall- or ceiling-mounted air handler, you don’t need ductwork. You can even add up to four indoor units with one outdoor unit for zoned heating and cooling in distinct areas in your home. A ductless mini-split could be the ideal HVAC option for your home addition if:
- Your present system can’t take on the added space, and you’re not ready to replace everything right away.
- The old and additional additions 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 deciding which HVAC option is best, let Peachtree Service Experts give our recommendations. We have years of experience helping homeowners dial in their indoor comfort, with a dedication to efficiency and eco-friendly HVAC systems.
We’ll start the process by completing a load calculation to determine your needs. Then, we can give cost breakdowns for ductwork installation and system upgrades vs. installing a ductless mini-split HVAC system. We’ll offer you all the possibilities so you can make a wise decision. To start, contact us at 678-235-9699 to schedule an appointment now!
