Whether you’re building a second family room, a guest suite or enlarging the kitchen, having additional square footage in your residence is sure to be handy. Just keep in mind you need to consider the heating and cooling requirements of the new space. One of those points should incorporate whether you should upgrade your HVAC system for a home addition in Livermore. Our instructions will help you as you take the first step in the process.
Option 1: No Upgrade Required
If the home addition calls for growing an area rather than putting on totally new rooms, you may not need to enhance the HVAC system at all. This is usually the case if your heating and cooling equipment was oversized when they were installed. Book a load calculation from a pro technician, for example one from Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning by calling 925-364-5427. This will affect if your existing HVAC equipment can handle the changes you’ve made to your home.
Option 2: HVAC System Upgrade
Another idea for getting heat and air conditioning into your home addition is to add on to the ductwork from your present forced-air equipment. If you rely on radiators or baseboard heating, you can add hot water piping to the new area.
Bear in mind that, adding ductwork or water piping, you might also have to install HVAC equipment to handle the bigger load. The resulting increase in electricity use could even call for an electrical panel upgrade. If your heating and cooling system requires a replacement soon, this may be perfectly acceptable.
Option 3: Add a Ductless Mini-Split
In place of upgrading your existing unit to cover the extra space, you can get a stand-alone one. Ductless mini-splits are great for this. They have two parts. There’s a condensing system that is installed on a slab near your home, much like an air conditioner. Then there’s the compact indoor blower that is placed on the ceiling or wall.
Akin to a central heat pump, mini-split HVAC systems provide both heating and cooling for continual comfort from a single setup.
Since it uses 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 differing spaces in your house. A ductless mini-split could be the best HVAC solution for your home addition if:
- Your existing system can’t absorb the additional area, and you’re not prepared to replace every part today.
- The old and expanded rooms have varying heating and cooling needs.
- You would like to add air conditioning to your residence without getting or extending the ductwork.
If you need help figuring out which HVAC option is ideal, let Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning offer our advice. We have a wealth of experience helping homeowners adjust their indoor comfort, with a dedication to efficiency and eco-friendly HVAC systems.
We’ll start the process by completing a load calculation to learn your needs. Then, we can offer cost comparisons for ductwork installation and system upgrades vs. installing a ductless mini-split HVAC system. We’ll present you with all the solutions so you can make an informed decision. To get started, call at 925-364-5427 to schedule an appointment now!