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

Whether you’re adding a second family room, a guest suite or growing the kitchen, having more square footage in your residence is sure to prove useful. Just don’t forget to think over the heating and cooling necessities of the new area. One of those points should involve whether you should upgrade your HVAC system for a home addition in Fort Lauderdale. Our guide will help you as you take the first step in the process. 

Option 1: No Upgrade Necessary 

If the home addition calls for growing an area as opposed to building entirely new rooms, you may not need to enhance the HVAC system at all. This is often the situation if your heating and cooling units were too big when they were installed. Get a load calculation from a professional technician, such as one from Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning by calling 954-736-4314. This will figure out if your existing HVAC system can take on the modifications you’ve made to your home. 

Option 2: Replace Your HVAC System 

Another idea for getting heat and air conditioning into your home addition is to lengthen the ductwork from your existing forced-air equipment. If you use radiators or baseboard heating, you can extend hot water piping to the new room. 

Bear in mind that, adding ductwork or water piping, you might also have to put in HVAC equipment to handle the higher load. The following increase in electricity use could even need a new electrical panel. If your heating and cooling system needs to be replaced soon, this could be a good option. 

Option 3: Get a Ductless Mini-Split 

Instead of upgrading your existing system to cover the added space, you can get a freestanding 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, similar to an air conditioner. Then there’s the compact indoor blower that is installed to the ceiling or wall. 

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

Since it uses a wall- or ceiling-mounted air handler, you don’t need ductwork. You can even add up to four indoor units with one outdoor unit for zoned heating and cooling in different spaces in your residence. A ductless mini-split could be the right HVAC system for your home addition if: 

• Your present system can’t absorb the added room, and you’re not able to replace everything right away. 
• The old and additional rooms have different heating and cooling needs. 
• You want to add air conditioning to your home without installing or lengthening the ductwork. 

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

We’ll get started by conducting 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 present you with all the options so you can make a wise decision. To begin, contact us at 954-736-4314 to schedule an appointment today!