Are you looking to update your home? Do you need to create more space for you and your family? An addition to a home can be a great way to add space to the house you love. But there are many things to consider when building an addition such as flooring choices, painting, or even how best to utilize the space. One thing that may not cross your mind is how to heat and cool the new addition throughout the year. Consider these three main options for achieving comfortable temperatures in addition to your house.
Install an Independent System
Some homeowners choose to treat their addition as separate from the rest of the house when thinking about HVAC options. In this case, they install a completely separate system outside of their current HVAC system to heat and cool the added space. This independent system could include a heat pump or a mini-split. This allows you to control the temperature in each separate space of your home, although it is best for additions that aren’t in use all of the time. However, this could be costly as you are essentially installing a new unit which could raise your energy costs each month.
Upgrade to a New System
Another option when remodeling your home is to take this opportunity to upgrade to a brand new system throughout the whole house. Newer AC models can be much more energy-efficient to save you energy and money on your monthly bills. When adding an addition to the home, you are adding square footage that can also add to the load calculation. This means that your current system may no longer be able to do the job adequately because it is too small for the new space. In this case, upgrading your HVAC system to a bigger unit may be the best choice. AC professionals can use existing ductwork to add on to the addition and replace the existing unit with a new unit with minimal interference.
Extend Your Current System to Include the Addition
The last option is to keep your current HVAC system and simply extend the ductwork to include the new addition. This can be the easiest option, but exercise caution as you want to ensure you aren’t overloading the existing system. Again, take into consideration the load calculation to make sure the existing system can handle the added space. If it is indeed powerful enough to extend into the addition, HVAC experts can rebalance the airflow into the home to include the addition as well so every part of your home gets the necessary airflow.
If you are unsure as to which option is best for you, professional HVAC technicians at Comfort Experts can perform a load calculation to help determine if you can keep your existing system or if you need to upgrade to a newer, larger AC unit. Don’t hesitate to give us a call with any questions you may have, because being comfortable in your home all year round is of utmost importance for you and your family.
