When you’re planning a second-story addition for your home, dealing with how you’re going to condition it should be at the top of the list. It’s best to work with an HVAC contractor to see if you need a new or upgraded HVAC system for the addition and your home. Contractors have the tools to determine if your current system can be extended or if you’d benefit from a different approach.

HVAC contractors use a tool called Manual J that takes into account the elements of your home that contribute to its heating and cooling load, including insulation levels, number and energy efficiency of windows, preferred indoor temperatures, number of home occupants and other critical factors about your home.

If your home’s current HVAC system is adequate to condition the new space, the contractor can discuss the process of extending the ductwork to the second-story addition. If it’s inadequate or more than 10 years old, you can either upgrade your current HVAC equipment or install a separate system to heat and cool the addition.

The benefits of either a new or upgraded HVAC system lie in the improved energy efficiency of today’s equipment. If you put in a whole new system, you can take advantage of the higher minimum SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) and heating efficiency, expressed either as AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) for fuel-burning furnaces or HSPF (heating seasonal performance factor) for heat pumps. Over time, you’ll see a payback with new equipment because your conditioning bills will be lower.

The last option if your current HVAC equipment is working well but not large enough is an independent system for the addition. A ductless mini split is one of the easiest options to install, and it operates efficiently. It has an outdoor condenser and an indoor air handler, with a flexible conduit that connects the two and delivers the refrigerant, power and drainpipe.

If you’d like to learn more about a new or upgraded HVAC system for your addition, contact Powers Heating & Air. We proudly provide HVAC services for Peachtree City and the surrounding area. 

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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