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 convenient. Just keep in mind you need to think over the heating and cooling needs of the new space. One of those considerations should include whether you should upgrade your HVAC system for a home addition in Fort Wayne. Our instructions will help you as you take the first step in the process.
Option 1: No Upgrade Required
If the home addition involves growing a room rather than building totally new rooms, you may not need to upgrade the HVAC system at all. This is most likely the situation if your heating and cooling equipment was oversized to begin with. Request a load calculation from a pro technician, for example one from Rolf Griffin Service Experts by calling 260-557-1275. This will determine if your present HVAC system can manage the upgrades you’ve made to your house.
Option 2: Install a New HVAC System
Another option for getting heat and air conditioning into your home addition is to lengthen the ductwork from your existing forced-air unit. If you rely on radiators or baseboard heating, you can lengthen hot water piping to the new area.
Be mindful that, along with ductwork or water piping, you might also have to install HVAC equipment to manage the bigger load. The subsequent increase in electricity consumption might even need an electrical panel upgrade. If your heating and cooling system requires a replacement soon, this could be a good solution.
Option 3: Get a Ductless Mini-Split
Instead of upgrading your existing equipment to handle the extra space, you can install a stand-alone one. Ductless mini-splits are perfect for this. They have two parts. There’s a condensing component that is installed on cement outside, much like an air conditioner. Then there’s the space-saving indoor blower that is placed to the ceiling or wall.
Akin to a central heat pump, mini-split HVAC systems deliver both heating and cooling for continual comfort from a single piece of equipment.
Since it has a wall- or ceiling-mounted air handler, zero ductwork is required. You can even link up to four indoor units with one outdoor unit for zoned heating and cooling in different spaces in your house. A ductless mini-split might be the right HVAC solution for your home addition if:
- Your existing system can’t handle the added square footage, and you’re not able to replace it all right away.
- The old and additional rooms have varying heating and cooling needs.
- You want to add air conditioning to your home without putting in or lengthening the ductwork.
If you need help figuring out which HVAC option is a good match, let Rolf Griffin Service Experts provide our suggestions. We have years of experience helping homeowners adjust their indoor comfort, with a dedication to efficiency and eco-friendly HVAC solutions.
Let us start by doing a load calculation to determine your needs. Then, we can offer cost breakdowns for ductwork installation and system upgrades vs. getting a ductless mini-split HVAC system. We’ll give you all the options so you can make a smart decision. To get started, contact us at 260-557-1275 to schedule an appointment right away!