Should You Upgrade Your HVAC System for a Home Addition? 

Whether you’re putting on a second family room, a guest area or enlarging the kitchen, having additional square footage in your house is sure to be handy. Just remember to think about the heating and cooling needs of the new room. One of those considerations should cover whether you should upgrade your HVAC system for a home addition in the U.S.. Our instructions will help you as you get started with the process.

Option 1: No Upgrade Required

If the home addition involves expanding a room rather than adding entirely new rooms, you may not need to improve the HVAC system at all. This is most likely the case if your heating and cooling equipment was too large to begin with. Book a load calculation from a pro technician, such as one from Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing by calling 866-397-3787. This will affect if your existing HVAC setup can handle the modifications you’ve made to your house.

Option 2: Upgrade Your HVAC System

Another idea for getting heat and air conditioning into your home addition is to add on to the ductwork from your existing forced-air system. If you rely on radiators or baseboard heating, you can add hot water piping to the new area.

You should know that, adding ductwork or water piping, you could also have to add HVAC equipment to manage the bigger load. The resulting increase in electricity consumption may even require an enhanced electrical panel. If your heating and cooling system needs to be replaced soon, this might be a good option.

Option 3: Get a Ductless Mini-Split

Instead of upgrading your existing equipment to manage the added space, you can install a separate one. Ductless mini-splits are great for this. They consist of two parts. There’s a condensing component that sits on cement near your home, akin to an air conditioner. Then there’s the small indoor blower that mounts on the ceiling or wall.

Like a central heat pump, mini-split HVAC systems deliver both heating and cooling for continual comfort from a sole solution.

Since it has a wall- or ceiling-mounted air handler, zero ductwork is required. You can even join up to four indoor blowers with one outdoor unit for zoned heating and cooling in differing spaces in your home. A ductless mini-split may be the right HVAC system for your home addition if:

• • Your existing system can’t take on the added area, and you’re not prepared to replace everything today.

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

• • You are looking to add air conditioning to your residence without getting or lengthening the ductwork.

If you need help figuring out which HVAC option is ideal, let Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing offer our advice. We have years of experience helping homeowners fine-tune their indoor comfort, with a commitment to efficiency and eco-friendly HVAC solutions.

We’ll start the process by performing a load calculation to learn your needs. Then, we can offer cost comparisons for ductwork installation and system upgrades vs. putting in a ductless mini-split HVAC system. We’ll offer you all the solutions so you can make a wise decision. To get started, contact us at 866-397-3787 to schedule an appointment right away!