Whether you’re聽adding聽a second family room, a guest聽area聽or聽enlarging聽the kitchen, having聽more聽square footage in your聽residence聽is sure to聽prove useful. Just聽don't forget聽to聽consider聽the heating and cooling聽requirements聽of the new聽area. One of those聽considerations聽should聽include聽whether you should upgrade your HVAC system for a home addition in聽the U.S.. Our聽guidebook聽will help you as you聽begin聽the process.
Option 1: No Upgrade聽Needed
If the home addition聽involves聽expanding聽an area聽instead of聽putting on聽entirely聽new rooms, you may not need to聽upgrade聽the HVAC system at all. This is聽most likely聽the聽situation聽if your heating and cooling聽units were聽too big聽when they were installed.聽Request聽a load calculation from聽a professional聽technician,聽such as聽one from聽天美传媒聽by calling (866) 963-7996. This will聽determine聽if your聽existing聽HVAC聽equipment聽can聽manage聽the聽modifications聽you’ve made to your聽house.
Option 2:聽Replace Your HVAC System
Another聽solution聽for聽bringing聽heat and air conditioning into your home addition is to聽add on to聽the ductwork from your聽existing聽forced-air聽system. If you聽use聽radiators or baseboard heating, you can聽extend聽hot water piping to the new聽room.
Be aware聽that,聽along with聽ductwork or water piping, you聽could聽also have to聽install聽HVAC equipment to聽manage聽the聽increased聽load. The聽resulting聽increase in electricity聽usage聽could聽even聽need聽an enhanced electrical panel. If your heating and cooling system聽is due for a replacement soon, this聽could聽be聽perfectly acceptable.
Option 3:聽Get聽a Ductless Mini-Split
In place of聽getting a new聽system聽to聽handle聽the聽extra聽space, you can聽put in聽a stand-alone聽one.聽Ductless mini-splits聽are聽perfect聽for this. They聽use聽two parts. There’s a condensing聽unit聽that聽sits聽on聽a slab聽outside,聽much like聽an air conditioner. Then there’s the聽compact聽indoor blower that聽mounts聽on聽the ceiling or wall.
Like聽a central heat pump, mini-split HVAC systems聽provide聽both heating and cooling for聽continuous聽comfort from聽a single聽system.
Since聽it has聽a wall- or ceiling-mounted air handler,聽no ductwork is required. You can even聽add聽up to four indoor聽units聽with one outdoor unit for聽zoned heating and cooling聽in聽different聽areas in聽your聽house. A ductless mini-split聽could聽be the聽ideal聽HVAC聽system聽for your home addition if:
- Your聽existing聽system can’t聽take on聽the聽additional聽room, and you’re not聽prepared聽to replace聽every part聽right away.
- The old and聽additional聽rooms聽have聽varying聽heating and cooling needs.
- You聽would like聽to add air conditioning to your聽residence聽without聽getting聽or聽extending聽the ductwork.
If you need help聽deciding聽which HVAC option is聽right for you, let聽天美传媒聽give聽our聽recommendations. We have聽a wealth聽of experience helping homeowners聽fine-tune聽their indoor comfort, with a聽passion for聽efficiency and eco-friendly HVAC聽solutions.
Let us start聽by聽conducting聽a load calculation to聽determine聽your needs. Then, we can聽provide聽cost聽breakdowns聽for ductwork installation and system upgrades vs.聽getting聽a ductless mini-split HVAC system. We’ll聽give you聽all the聽options聽so you can make聽an informed聽decision. To聽start,聽contact us聽at (866) 963-7996 to聽schedule an appointment聽now!
