What’s Involved When Adding Central A/C to an Older Home?

Having air conditioning is essential in the warm northeastern summers, but you may not have central air if you live in an older home. Many older homes weren’t built for central A/C, but this doesn’t mean that you have to go without. There are excellent options available for retrofitting central A/C systems with or without ductwork, and it may not be as costly or problematic as you think. Below is a look at some options for adding central A/C to an older home.

Adding Cooling to an Existing Forced Air Heating System

The cost of adding an A/C to a house that already has forced air heating is relatively inexpensive since the ductwork has already been installed. If the home has no ductwork, this can make the process of installing central air more expensive, as running ducts is labor intensive. Plus, it may be difficult to find sufficient space.

Installing a Ductless System

This option is more efficient but also more expensive. Ductless systems have a compressor outside the home, along with an indoor air handler mounted in the rooms that are to be cooled. A ductless system is a good option if the home’s walls are too thin for ductwork or if there are rooms that tend to get warmer and need additional cooling.

Adding Central A/C to an Older Home With a High Velocity Option

The ductwork that these systems use is smaller and more flexible than that used for low velocity systems. Like ductless systems, high velocity systems can be considerably more expensive than a standard ducted low velocity system.

At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues – especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

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