6 HVAC Considerations That Should Be Part of Your Home Addition

Planning a home addition requires myriad issues and tasks to be thought through and documented. A crucial part of home remodeling is addressing heating and cooling requirements for the new space. Talking over HVAC requirements with a home heating and cooling expert should be one of your primary tasks. So, if you’re adding on to your home, here are six HVAC considerations that should be part of your project.

1. Are There HVAC Regulations You Need to Know About?

In this era of rapid technological changes to energy production methods (think solar and battery storage), new HVAC regulations inevitably come into play. Likewise, the relentless pursuit of energy efficiency also drives new heating and cooling equipment standards. As part of your upfront home addition planning, you should check with government agencies on any recent rule changes. Good starting points are the Energy Information Administration and the Department of Energy.

2. Will the Extra Footage from Your Home Addition Need More HVAC?

One of the vital HVAC matters to consider is the level of heating and cooling needed in the new space. It would help if you asked several key questions:

What will be the most cost-efficient way to cool and heat the area?
Can you extend the existing HVAC system to the room with additional ductwork?
Will the new space be energy passive?
If new HVAC equipment is needed, does it have to be connected to existing systems, or can it stand alone?

Expert HVAC companies can be worth their weight in gold at this early stage of your planning. They will generally give you free advice on all relevant new and updated laws and equipment standards, as this knowledge is essential to their business.

3. Should You Reconfigure Ductwork?

So, should you consider reconfiguring existing ductwork to deliver seasonal cooling and heating to the home addition? With walls opened up and ductwork exposed, this can be an opportune time to expand your existing HVAC. It will be much cheaper to add some new ductwork and a vent at this point in the project than after completion.

You should go back to the project plan to calculate and compare the cost of expansion over a new HVAC system or a stand-alone appliance.

4. Is This a Good Opportunity to Upgrade Your HVAC?

You don’t want to overinvest in a new HVAC if it’s unnecessary. But with all the work occurring on the home addition, there may be cost savings to upgrading machinery now, rather than postponing.

One of the HVAC matters to consider is whether upcoming regulatory changes will cost you in retrofitting and balance that cost against the price of a new system. In addition, examine whether the improved efficiencies of new equipment can help offset the higher purchase price.

5. Critical HVAC Matters to Consider — What type of HVAC is best suited for the new space?

Working out the most efficient way to address the energy required for the new home space will take some time. You’ll need to work through the different types of HVAC appliances on the market, including price and energy outputs. And, of course, you’ll need to tailor the solution to your specific climate and weather characteristics.

Air conditioners can be purchased as evaporative coolers, window units, wall-mounted, or even portable appliances. Heating can be supplied via furnace systems, permanently wall-mounted or portable space heaters, and mini-split systems.

Geothermal and hybrid systems, while not as common on the market, can also be investigated and costed.

6. How will you Maintain your HVAC during and after renovation?

Building and renovating is a messy business. Dust will be shaken loose and move throughout the home. Debris from opening up walls, building new ones, plastering, and painting, will all contribute to poor air quality until the home addition work is complete.

As much as practical, you don’t want this filthy air getting into the HVAC where it will collect and put a strain on the equipment. Minimizing the use of your HVAC during the peak of building work will assist. Checking, cleaning, and replacing air filters can be done more regularly than before the home addition work began. Use exhaust fans to blow dust and debris out of the house where you can.

Get Expert Assistance from Briggs HVAC in North Virginia

At Briggs HVAC, we are highly experienced with fitting many different types of HVAC systems. If you’re planning a new installation, need advice on general heating and cooling matters, or need to schedule a maintenance visit, please get in touch. Your HVAC can probably do with a good inspection and clean after all that building work.