Should You Get a New HVAC System for a Home Addition? 

Whether you’re building a second family room, a guest area or enlarging the kitchen, having more square footage in your residence is sure to be handy. Just remember to consider the heating and cooling necessities of the new room. One of those points should involve whether you should upgrade your HVAC system for a home addition in the U.S.. Our instructions will help you as you take the first step in the process.

Option 1: No Upgrade Needed

If the home addition involves growing an area rather than putting on entirely new rooms, you may not need to enhance the HVAC system at all. This is usually the instance if your heating and cooling units were oversized when they were installed. Request a load calculation from a pro technician, like one from Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing by calling 866-397-3787. This will figure out if your present HVAC equipment can manage the upgrades you’ve made to your residence.

Option 2: HVAC System Upgrade

Another solution for delivering heat and air conditioning into your home addition is to add on to the ductwork from your existing forced-air system. If you use radiators or baseboard heating, you can extend hot water piping to the new space.

Please note that, adding ductwork or water piping, you could also have to install HVAC equipment to handle the higher load. The resulting increase in electricity use could even call for a new electrical panel. If your heating and cooling system needs to be replaced soon, this may be perfectly acceptable.

Option 3: Add a Ductless Mini-Split

Rather than installing a new unit to handle the extra square footage, you can put in a freestanding one. Ductless mini-splits are ideal for this. They have two parts. There’s a condensing unit that sits on a slab near your home, akin to an air conditioner. Then there’s the small indoor blower that is placed on the ceiling or wall.

Akin to a central heat pump, mini-split HVAC systems deliver both heating and cooling for year-round comfort from a sole system.

Since it has a wall- or ceiling-mounted air handler, no ductwork is required. You can even link up to four indoor units with one outdoor unit for zoned heating and cooling in distinct spaces in your residence. A ductless mini-split could be the ideal HVAC system for your home addition if:

• • Your current system can’t handle the additional square footage, and you’re not able to replace every part right away.

• • The old and additional spaces have different heating and cooling needs.

• • You want to add air conditioning to your home without getting or extending the ductwork.

If you need help determining which HVAC option is best, let Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing give our suggestions. We have a lot of experience helping homeowners dial in their indoor comfort, with a commitment to efficiency and eco-friendly HVAC systems.

We’ll start the process by performing 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 options so you can make a smart decision. To start, reach at 866-397-3787 to schedule an appointment today!