Because traditional ducts can be 6 to 12 inches wide, installing central air can involve size complications. Often, this involves breaking down walls and creating additional ceilings to hide ductwork. This invasive work involves altering the architecture of your room. Installing air conditioning in an older home is a challenge. Many older homes don't have ductwork or enough space for an HVAC system.
In addition, the electrical system may be insufficient to withstand the load of modern household appliances. Upgrading the electrical system is also expensive, requiring us to explore options that could work with existing systems. While they use ducts such as central air conditioners, the ducts are only 2 inches in diameter and are very flexible. Central air conditioners require a dedicated 230-volt circuit and can require 20 to 50 amps of power, making it necessary to upgrade electrical service.
So, it's worth considering other ductless options besides opting for a ducted air conditioning system. Air sealing involves closing all the small gaps and cracks that let cold air out, and improving insulation generally involves adding better insulation to the attic and the foundation of the house. This is because it cools the air so quickly that it shuts off before it can circulate the right volume of air through the coils to extract the necessary humidity. We'll look at the challenges and benefits of installing central air in an older home, the mistakes you should definitely avoid, and the best type of air conditioning for older homes.
With this type of system, you will continue to enjoy most of the efficiency advantages of a heat pump, but air conditioning will be supplied through existing ducts. With high-speed systems, you can enjoy all the benefits of central air conditioning without worrying about leaving space for large ducts. Thanks to their high efficiency, ease of installation and elegant design, minisplits are perfect air conditioning options for older homes without ducts. By the time you calculate all those costs, you'll probably want to have skipped the idea of central air conditioning and bought a mini split system.
With these smart features, you can automate your home's air conditioning without worrying about temperature fluctuations anymore. With traditional central air conditioners, you have to heat or cool the entire house, even rooms that aren't in use. The first order of business and perhaps the most important decision for installing a central air conditioner in your home is to select the right equipment. Older homes tend to have a lot of gaps and cracks around windows, doors, and other openings called air leaks, which means a lot of air exchange with the outside world.
