Whether you’re building a second family room, a guest space or growing the kitchen, having additional square footage in your residence is sure to be convenient. Just don’t forget to think over the heating and cooling requirements of the new space. One of those points should cover whether you should upgrade your HVAC system for a home addition in Saint Charles. Our instructions will help you as you get started with the process.
Option 1: No Upgrade Needed
If the home addition calls for enlarging an area instead of adding entirely new rooms, you may not need to enhance the HVAC system at all. This is often the case if your heating and cooling equipment was oversized originally. Get a load calculation from a professional technician, such as one from Golden Seal Service Experts by calling 630-246-2698. This will figure out if your existing HVAC equipment can manage the changes you’ve made to your house.
Option 2: Replace Your HVAC System
Another idea for delivering heat and air conditioning into your home addition is to add on to the ductwork from your current forced-air system. If you have radiators or baseboard heating, you can extend hot water piping to the new room.
Be mindful that, adding ductwork or water piping, you could also have to put in HVAC equipment to manage the bigger load. The subsequent increase in electricity usage might even call for an enhanced electrical panel. If your heating and cooling system requires a replacement soon, this could be perfectly acceptable.
Option 3: Add a Ductless Mini-Split
In place of getting a new unit to manage the extra area, you can put in a stand-alone one. Ductless mini-splits are ideal for this. They consist of two parts. There’s a condensing system that is placed on cement outdoors, similar to an air conditioner. Then there’s the space-saving indoor blower that mounts against the ceiling or wall.
Similar to a central heat pump, mini-split HVAC systems deliver both heating and cooling for constant comfort from a single system.
Since it includes a wall- or ceiling-mounted air handler, zero ductwork is required. You can even link up to four indoor blowers with one outdoor unit for zoned heating and cooling in different areas in your residence. A ductless mini-split might be the right HVAC solution for your home addition if:
- Your existing system can’t take on the additional room, and you’re not able to replace it all right now.
- The old and additional additions have different heating and cooling needs.
- You want to add air conditioning to your home without installing or lengthening the ductwork.
If you need help determining which HVAC option is best, let Golden Seal Service Experts offer our advice. We have years of experience helping homeowners dial in their indoor comfort, with a passion for efficiency and eco-friendly HVAC systems.
We’ll start the process by performing 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 present you with all the possibilities so you can make a wise decision. To get started, reach at 630-246-2698 to schedule an appointment now!