If you have an older house or live in a cooler part of the country, your house may have no air conditioning systems installed. If you'd like to add air conditioning to such a house, you'll need to keep several things in mind.
Here are some of the top considerations for when you're adding an all-new air conditioning system to a house that didn't previously have one.
Ductwork can run through closets and other areas
One of the big challenges when installing AC for the first time is figuring out where to put the ducts. For a fully functioning system, ducts have to carry air from the AC unit to each room in your home. If your home wasn't designed and built with AC systems in mind, this could be tricky. Some common places to put ducts include:
Your AC contractor can help you assess your home to find any likely spots where ducts could run through. If things are tight, they may be able to use smaller diameter ducts instead of the standard size ducts.
Some AC systems don't require ducts
Fortunately, ductless AC systems exist as well. If installing ducts in your house turns out to be unfeasible, your AC contractors can help you look into installing ductless AC units instead.
Also called mini-split AC, ductless AC systems use units that install in your walls (frequently above the window) to cool your air. These aren't a security risk like in-window units and don't require as much installation work as a ductwork system.
You may want to choose a heat pump AC unit
If you have an aging heating system, consider installing an AC unit that also functions as a heat pump. This will allow you to use the AC for both summer cooling and winter heating. Since heat pumps only have to move heat into the house rather than creating it, they can be a very efficient form of heating.
Choosing a heat pump unit can also allow you to use the same infrastructure for both heating and cooling. This can allow you to get back any space that you'd been using for heating, such as space previously used for radiators.
These are some of the considerations to keep in mind when planning to install air conditioning in your home for the first time. For more information about what's required for such a project, discuss the update with your local AC installation contractors.