Consider Electrical Amperage
You’ll need to consider the electrical amperage in your home. Installing air conditioning in older homes may require an electrician to upgrade your home’s power supply. An older home may only have a 110-volt, 60-amp service that powers the entire house. Unfortunately, this amount is barely enough for the large appliances. Typically, a central air conditioning unit needs 20 to 50 amps of power, which you’ll barely have enough for without adding to the electrical supply.
Hydroponic Heating Systems
For older homes that don’t have a forced air HVAC system, the process isn’t as simple as installing a system with a condenser unit outside. You have to be concerned about how to install a system that requires the use of ducts to carry cool air throughout the home. However it is possible, despite your home utilizing a steam or oil boiler. It just requires the installation of an entirely new system that includes all indoor and outdoor components including ducts. Generally, the most space efficient option is high-velocity ducts. They take up little space because they force such a great deal of air at high pressure.
Mini-Split System
You could also opt for a mini-split system that is completely ductless and still disperses cold air throughout your home. Unlike installing other forms of air conditioning in your home, this one requires the use of no ducts. Instead, there are individual units placed in each room. Plus, you don’t have to worry about losing space in a closet, nor will you need to worry about the lack of crawl spaces your old home has. It’s the most effective way to maintain the aesthetic appeal of your home. This may even save you money considering you won’t need to pay for all the carpentry and other work that’s entailed in the installation process. The price of the actual devices placed in each room can get quite costly. You may want to have them installed in just a few rooms in your home to save money, especially considering it’s not unheard of for a system for an entire house to cost over $10,000.
Adding air conditioning in older homes is possible, even without ducts. You just need to take into consideration your options and preferences. You will also want to consider which option will be the energy efficient for how much you use it. For more information on adding air conditioning in older homes, contact us at Climate Experts today!
