Have you considered adding onto your current home by expanding a garage into living space or building another room? Before you build, you need to ensure that your current HVAC system can handle the new load that increasing your square footage will bring. In addition to expanding the duct work and adding vents, an HVAC specialist can also help tailor your current air conditioner system. This way, you can ensure the HVAC unit does not break down unexpectedly because it cannot handle the increased workload.
Florida is a unique state because it is the home of many people that move here later in life from colder climates. When new residents buy properties in Florida, expanding the living space with a garage or addition might be done before they move in. Unfortunately, what new Florida property owners from colder climates might not know is that living in a subtropical climate means air conditioning is extremely important. Since so many homeowners are cranking their air conditioning at full-blast throughout most of the year, HVAC companies tightly regulate cooling in order to keep expenses as low as possible.
One of the ways Florida keeps their cooling bills low is by having pros tailor or re-engineer the HVAC machine to the specific square footage of the home or building it is cooling. This saves homeowners thousands of dollars per year, and it is highly recommended as being environmentally friendly. Unlike other parts of the country that have milder summers, a Florida HVAC unit can be compromised if the square footage of the home is expanded beyond the machine’s capacity.
When the square footage of the home is increased, it is often done in ways that homeowners think are negligible. For example, adding one room might only be 250 square feet. Sadly, especially if an HVAC unit is aging, adding square footage that the machine was not expecting can cause it to work overtime. This means that homeowners will ultimately need to replace their air conditioning unit sooner than expected, and the warranty might not be honored. Fortunately, when an HVAC expert is hired to help with a home addition or expansion, the cooling unit can be amended to accommodate the increased workload.
One other way we help homeowners avoid a new air conditioner installation is by installing an air handler in the attic. This means that the air ducts at the highest point of the home are helped with a piece of equipment. This air handler will work to push more of the cooled air to the furthest areas of the home. This is especially important when the square footage of the home is increased during a renovation.
In some cases, it is not possible to amend the current air conditioning system to accommodate the increased square footage. In these particular cases, a new HVAC unit will be recommended that keeps a focus on your budget and square footage. Regardless of the cost, one of the main advantages of installing a brand new air conditioning unit is the spike in technological advances over the past five years. Driven by federal greener-planet initiatives, the Energy Star rated air conditioners will save homeowners in the short-term on their utility bills. In some cases, grants or tax rebates can be acquired that will reduce the cost of any Energy Star rated machinery you buy for your home. Assistance with the rebate or grant paperwork can be completed by a professional technician during installation of the HVAC system.
When HVAC is not used to connect ducts and vents to a central system, independent units are used. In most people’s memory, this means an independent window unit, but these types of cooling systems are not compatible with luxury homes. In rare cases where duct work or vents are not appropriate, independent units will need to be installed that are not utilized with windows. These sophisticated air conditioners are similar to the kinds found in hotels, and can be mounted in ceilings, walls or on the floor.
Expanding the square footage of your home does not need to be a disaster that ultimately leads to your current AC system frying. To beat the heat while keeping your budget under control, let a certified HVAC technician help you with your home remodeling. Cool Today has been serving Florida since 1963 and is ready to help with all your heating & air conditioning needs.