Home renovations include a good deal of planning before you get started. The decisions you make early on affect the building process as well as the finished space. It’s a good idea to bring your HVAC contractor into the design process early. By doing so, you’ll be able to integrate the heating and cooling system into the renovation or new build seamlessly.
The HVAC expert can help you decide if you should:
Extend your existing system.
If the HVAC professional finds that your existing system has enough capacity to condition the new space, you’ll have to allocate space for the ductwork and registers to deliver the conditioned air.
Replace your existing system.
When your current system isn’t adequate, replacing it might make sense. If it’s near the end of its useful life or needs frequent repairs, it would probably save you money in lower energy costs and fewer repair bills to install a new system.
You may even be able to finance it with the rest of the home renovations. If it meets the guidelines, you may also be able to use energy efficiency financing.
Use a ductless mini split.
A ductless mini split heat pump gives you energy efficient heating and cooling in a single unit. They’re used to condition new or retrofit spaces where it would be difficult to run ductwork or you want to condition the space independently from the rest of the house.
High-efficiency ductless heat pumps are capable of heating a space even when temperatures hover near 0 degrees F. If you don’t plan to use the new space continuously, a ductless system will save your energy dollars since it has its own thermostat. You can keep it at 55 degrees during the winter and turn it off in the summer when you’re not using the space.
Planning the home renovations carefully upfront will reward you with a more energy efficient and functional addition. To learn more, contact Ace Hardware Home Services, providing HVAC services for homeowners in the Dayton area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
