Central air conditioning is one of the century’s greatest inventions. It takes on a variety of roles, like cooling your home, offers good indoor air quality, lowers humidity and more. But what if you live in an older home? Can you install central AC in an old house without sacrificing the home’s structural integrity?
Many people think that you cannot have modern conveniences in an older house. This is just not true. Most owners do not want to compromise the home’s architectural heritage by making holes in the walls and ceilings.
There are many options from which to choose in today’s market. Talk to a licensed central air conditioning specialist for reliable advice and recommendations on how to add a central system while maintaining a brand new HVAC system in your old house.
Bigger is Not Necessarily Better
A common mistake many homeowners make installing an air conditioner is getting a size that is too large for the home. An oversized central AC will cycle off and on frequently. This prevents the unit from running its full cycle and forces the unit to work harder than it has to.
Below is a simple equation to determine the right size AC size for your home:
- Multiply your home’s square footage by 25
- Divide that by 12,000
- Subtract by .05
- Your total will be the correct AC size for your home in tonnage.
When you are ready to get started, make sure you hire a reputable central air conditioner company. They too will calculate the right size unit for your living space and install it properly.
The following guidelines should also be considered when purchasing a new central AC:
- What is the age of the home?
- How many windows are there?
- Will you be adding ductwork?
- Is the home well insulated?
- Seal window gaps and door jams.
You Don’t Always Need Ductwork
If your current old house does not already have ductwork, that’s okay. You can still have central air conditioning in your older home.
Installing new ductwork in an old house will require tearing down walls and ceilings, and many homeowners cringe at the thought of such demolition, fearing that it will take away from the old house’s original character.
The good news is that you don’t always need ductwork to install central AC in your older home. Ductless HVAC systems do not require standard ductwork. They will cool the air by circulating it through small ducts that are embedded into the walls and ceilings.
What Does it Cost?
Get ready to spend between at least 1,000 to install central air conditioning in an older home.
That is not very much to pay for a system that will provide cooling relief when the temperatures rise into the triple digits. As an added bonus, your property value will go up the moment you install central air conditioning in your older home.
You should work with an accredited central air conditioner expert and Good’s Electric, Heating & Air to determine what are the cooling options for your old house. We will be happy to discuss the nuances of installing central air conditioning in an older home.
Schedule Service