Whether you’re building a second family room, a guest suite or expanding the kitchen, having additional square footage in your home is sure to be convenient. Just keep in mind you need to consider the heating and cooling needs of the new area. One of those factors should involve whether you should upgrade your HVAC system for a home addition in Ravenna. Our guide will help you as you begin the process.
Option 1: No Upgrade Needed
If the home addition involves expanding a room as opposed to building totally new rooms, you may not need to upgrade the HVAC system at all. This is often the instance if your heating and cooling system was too large originally. Schedule a load calculation from a pro technician, like one from Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning by calling 330-236-4793. This will affect if your present HVAC equipment can manage the modifications you’ve made to your residence.
Option 2: Replace Your HVAC System
Another idea for bringing heat and air conditioning into your home addition is to extend the ductwork from your current forced-air equipment. If you have radiators or baseboard heating, you can add hot water piping to the new space.
Bear in mind that, along with ductwork or water piping, you may also have to add HVAC equipment to take care of the increased load. The subsequent increase in electricity consumption may even need a new electrical panel. If your heating and cooling system requires a replacement soon, this might be perfectly acceptable.
Option 3: Add a Ductless Mini-Split
In place of getting a new equipment to manage the added area, you can install a separate one. Ductless mini-splits are great for this. They use two parts. There’s a condensing system that sits on the ground outdoors, much like an air conditioner. Then there’s the compact indoor blower that mounts to the ceiling or wall.
Similar to a central heat pump, mini-split HVAC systems deliver both heating and cooling for all-season comfort from a sole setup.
Since it links with a wall- or ceiling-mounted air handler, zero ductwork is required. You can even link up to four indoor air handlers with one outdoor unit for zoned heating and cooling in differing parts of your residence. A ductless mini-split might be the right HVAC option for your home addition if:
- Your existing system can’t handle the additional area, and you’re not ready to replace every part right now.
- The old and additional spaces have different heating and cooling needs.
- You want to add air conditioning to your residence without getting or adding on to the ductwork.
If you need help determining which HVAC option is best, let Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning provide our suggestions. We have a lot of experience helping homeowners adjust their indoor comfort, with a passion for efficiency and eco-friendly HVAC options.
We’ll get started by doing a load calculation to determine your needs. Then, we can provide cost breakdowns 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 smart decision. To get started, contact us at 330-236-4793 to schedule an appointment now!