Is Your House Ready For Air Conditioning?
When the temperature is over 100 outside, there is only so much good a few fans can do for you to help you cool down. The only way to really keep you and your house at a bearable temperature is with air conditioning. You can put in a few window units, but those are pricey and only keep a small area cool. Central air is what you really need. But if your house doesn't have air conditioning already, it can be a daunting task to install it. Here is a little checklist to getting your house ready for a new air conditioner unit.
Ductwork
Air conditioners cool down air and then force it through ductwork throughout your home. If you have a furnace, and most people do, the infrastructure is already in place. If you happen to have baseboard heaters or some other heating method that doesn't use ductwork, you will need to hire a professional to run the ducts for your central air. Any HVAC contractor who installs central air will also be able to perform this task.
Electrical
The majority of electricity in the United States is supplied at 110 to 120 volts. However, some appliances need between 220 and 240 volts to run properly. Among these are dryers, some baseboard heaters, and, you guessed it, central air conditioning units. If your home has never had central air before, you will need to hire an electrician to run a 240 volt connection to where you want to put your new air conditioning unit. This is not a difficult task, but it is essential to getting your home ready for central air.
Insulation
Insulating your house is often overlooked when installing a new AC system. If your home is not properly insulated, the unit will have to work much harder to keep things cool. This means you will end up paying higher energy bills and your home will have hot spots in the summer. Many local utility companies will offer low-cost energy audits that check that your home has the proper amount and type of insulation. To get the most out of your new system, invest in a little bit of insulation.
Once your house is ready, you can move on to sizing, selecting, and installing your unit. This part is much more fun, but making sure your house is in tip top shape is vital to the successful installation of a new air conditioning system.
For more information, contact a local HVAC company, like Now Heating & Air.