Should You Get a New HVAC System for a Home Addition?
Whether you’re putting on a second family room, a guest space or expanding the kitchen, having extra square footage in your house is sure to be convenient. Just don’t forget to think over the heating and cooling needs of the new space. One of those factors should cover whether you should upgrade your HVAC system for a home addition in Fort Lauderdale. Our guidebook will help you as you take the first step in the process.
Option 1: No Upgrade Needed
If the home addition calls for enlarging an area as opposed to putting on entirely new rooms, you may not need to enhance the HVAC system at all. This is usually the situation if your heating and cooling equipment was oversized to begin with. Book a load calculation from a professional technician, for example one from Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning by calling 954-736-4314. This will affect if your existing HVAC system can take on the modifications you’ve made to your home.
Option 2: Replace Your HVAC System
Another solution for delivering heat and air conditioning into your home addition is to extend the ductwork from your present forced-air system. If you rely on radiators or baseboard heating, you can lengthen hot water piping to the new area.
Be aware that, adding ductwork or water piping, you might also have to install HVAC equipment to take care of the higher load. The subsequent increase in electricity use could even need an enhanced electrical panel. If your heating and cooling system needs to be replaced soon, this may be a good solution.
Option 3: Add a Ductless Mini-Split
Instead of upgrading your existing system to manage the additional area, you can get a freestanding one. Ductless mini-splits are ideal for this. They consist of two parts. There’s a condensing component that is placed on the ground near your home, similar to an air conditioner. Then there’s the small indoor blower that is installed against 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 setup.
Since it uses a wall- or ceiling-mounted air handler, you don’t need ductwork. You can even link up to four indoor blowers with one outdoor unit for zoned heating and cooling in different parts of your residence. A ductless mini-split could be the right HVAC system for your home addition if:
- Your present system can’t absorb the added square footage, and you’re not prepared to replace everything today.
- The old and additional rooms have different heating and cooling needs.
- You are looking to add air conditioning to your home without installing or lengthening the ductwork.
If you need help deciding which HVAC option is best, let Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning provide our recommendations. We have a lot of experience helping homeowners fine-tune their indoor comfort, with a passion for efficiency and eco-friendly HVAC solutions.
We’ll start the process by performing a load calculation to learn your needs. Then, we can provide 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 954-736-4314 to schedule an appointment right away!
