Chill out—we’ve got you covered
Older homes may have charming features you won’t find in newer construction—wainscoting and stained glass windows come to mind—but they also lack modern comforts such as central air conditioning. That doesn’t mean you’re destined to endure oppressive summer heat or install window AC units if you live in an older home. Fortunately, it’s possible to add central air conditioning to an older home, even if it lacks ductwork. But, before you invest in a new system, consider these tips for adding central air to a house.
The biggest factor that determines how easy (or complicated) it will be to retrofit your home with central air conditioning is whether you have ductwork. Homes equipped with forced air furnaces for heat have ducts that spiderweb throughout the ceilings and floors to circulate that warm air. If you’re not sure what type of HVAC system your home has (or even what an HVAC system is), simply look for the telltale metal louvered vents (called registers) that indicate you have ducts. You’ll find them on the ceiling and on the floor near the walls.
If you’re lucky enough to have ductwork in place, you can connect an air conditioner to those existing ducts to circulate cold air in the summer. You might even be able to use the furnace’s blower to circulate the cold air created by the AC unit, eliminating the need to purchase an air handler. Contact an HVAC technician near you to determine the best way to add a central air conditioner to the existing ducts.
If your home doesn’t have any ductwork, installing central air conditioning is still possible. It’s just a bit more complicated. If you live in a single-level home, the technician will have to install an air handler in the attic then run ductwork between the ceiling joists to each room. From there he’ll cut a hole in the ceiling for each register. If you live in a two-story home, the technician will typically run ductwork through a closet to connect the two levels. Whether you’re using existing ducts or adding ductwork, make sure to hire an HVAC expert with experience retrofitting homes to ensure you get the right system.
Some people turn on the AC as soon as the temp hits 70, while others hold out until they’re breaking a sweat while watching TV. It would go to follow, then, that not every type of home requires the same type of air conditioner. Before you go to have yours installed, know what meets your needs.
If you live in a sprawling Craftsman, roomy Victorian, or another type of large home, you’ll want a powerful unit that can distribute cool air evenly from top to bottom, so you should expect to pay more.
While how much an air conditioning unit costs may be foremost in your mind, it’s also crucial to consider how much you’ll spend each month to operate it. Luckily, the Department of Energy (DOE) requires air conditioning unit manufacturers to rate the efficiency of their AC units and share that info with consumers. Central air conditioner and HVAC energy efficiency is indicated by its SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating). The higher the SEER rating the more energy efficient the air conditioning is (and the less it will cost to run each month). You can find this rating on the AC unit’s bright yellow EnergyGuide tag.
The savings can be significant. Trading out an old 9 SEER AC unit with a high-efficiency 14 SEER unit can cut operating costs by 35%, according to the DOE.
Keep in mind that the price of air conditioning units with high SEER ratings is significantly higher. But while you’ll pay more upfront for an energy-efficient air conditioner, you’ll eventually make up that money and more in operating costs. You can also take advantage of rebates and tax credits offered by the federal government and utility companies for air conditioners with high-efficiency ratings.
Take a Goldilocks approach when deciding what size AC unit you need and get one that’s just right. An air conditioning unit that’s too small for the space will run constantly to try and cool it, driving up your electric bill while shortening the lifespan of the air conditioner’s compressor and fan motor.
Likewise, bigger is certainly not always better when it comes to air conditioning units. When the AC unit is too large for the home, it produces too much cold air for the space, causing it to reach the setting on your thermostat before it finishes a cycle. This causes the air conditioner to turn off and on repeatedly in a process HVAC pros refer to as “short cycling.” Short cycling puts a strain on the air conditioner’s condenser and motor while running up your electric bill.
While an HVAC service will tell you what size air conditioner you need for your home, it’s wise to understand how they make their determination, especially since the only remedy for the above problems is a costly replacement. Calculate the total square footage of the area you plan to cool, then multiply that number by 20. The resulting number is the size air conditioner you need in BTUs. For example, if you have 2,000 square feet of space to cool, you’ll need an air conditioner that produces about 40,000 BTUs.
Buying new air conditioning and having it installed is all well and good, but before you start dream shopping and getting quotes, you should assess whether your home can handle the air conditioning in question.
In older homes, many circuit breakers just aren’t up to the task, which can lead to an unwelcome surprise: upgrading your circuit breaker at the average cost of between $750 and $2,000. Have an electrician near you assess your circuit breaker ASAP so you can confidently make your budgeting and installation choices.
Before embarking on a big project like having air conditioning installed in your home, it’s always wise to go in with an expectation of how much you’ll be spending. While comfort is key to a happy home life, so is a comfortable number in the bank account.
If you plan on hiring an AC pro to install your air conditioning system, you should plan on spending $3,000 to $7,000 in total. That cost includes the price of the unit and the installation itself. HVAC system replacement costs between $5,000 and $12,500.
It can be tempting to act quickly on a good deal once you think you’ve got one. While air conditioning installation can be costly, it can be a necessity depending on where you live.
In other words, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That’s why it’s essential to get at least three quotes from local air conditioner installers before signing any contracts.
Becca Stokes contributed to this piece.
If your home has an existing forced-air heat system, you can add a central air conditioner to it. An HVAC technician can retrofit your forced-air heating system by installing an evaporator coil onto the furnace plenum, the box next to the furnace that draws in air. Once installed, the air conditioning coils use the furnace’s blower to circulate the air.
It is possible to add air conditioning to an older home, but it can be very expensive to do so. Expect to pay anywhere from $6,000 to $17,000 or more for the ductwork and AC unit. You’ll also have to hack into the home’s walls and ceilings to add ductwork, which can impact the aesthetics of an old home.
Traditional central air conditioning systems require ductwork to circulate air throughout the home. Alternatively, you can add air conditioning with a mini-split ductless air conditioning system, which can be just as energy efficient as a central air conditioner. This type of system consists of two units–an outside unit that holds the compressor and condenser and an indoor unit that holds an air-handler. With multi-zone ductless systems, there are multiple indoor air handlers tied to a single outdoor compressor/condenser, allowing the system to cool multiple rooms.
