Once you’ve decided to add to your home, one of the next decisions you need to make is how to go about heating and cooling it. It may make a difference in how the addition is built, affecting its mechanical layout. The three basic ways to condition a home addition are to extend your existing heating and cooling system, install a new one, or use a supplemental system.
- Existing system. If your current HVAC system is large enough, you may be able to extend the ductwork so that it reaches the new space. This may be the least expensive approach for adding heating and cooling.
- New HVAC equipment. If your current system is more than 15 years old, you’ll save money if you replace it with new equipment that’s sized for your home, including the new addition. HVAC equipment loses energy efficiency as it ages, and the technology inside contemporary equipment is more sophisticated, leading to better energy use. Though a new HVAC system will cost more upfront, the new equipment will save you money over time from lower utility bills.
- Ductless mini-splits. These heat pumps deliver the conditioned air without any ductwork. They blow directly from an air handler and use an outdoor condenser/compressor to harvest heat from the outside air for indoor heating, or release indoor heat outside for cooling. A conduit connects the inside/outside units, containing the refrigerant, drainpipe and power. This conduit can be as long as 50 feet, making it possible to run the line from the ground up to a second-floor addition. A mini-split can accommodate up to four indoor air handlers, which allows for zoned heating and cooling in your home or addition.
If you’re satisfied with the efficiency of your current heating and cooling system, ductless mini-splits may be a practical solution for your addition. They are easy to install, and have high efficiency because there are no air or thermal losses through any ductwork.
If you’d like to learn more about heating and cooling for a home addition, contact Climate Control Company. We’ve provided superior HVAC services to western Colorado, including the Aspen and Vail areas, since 1956.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Aspen, Vail and the surrounding Western slope communities in Colorado about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about heating and cooling in your 2-story addition and other HVAC topics, please visit our website.
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