If you live in an older home without central air conditioning or forced-air heating, then the primary obstacle to upgrading is often the cost of new ductwork installations. Although skilled installers can add ductwork to any structure, your options will vary depending upon your home's layout. Since proper ductwork is essential to the efficient operation of your cooling system, getting it right the first time is critical to enjoying your new central air conditioning unit. Fortunately, you will usually have a variety of options for affordable installation.
Single-Level Homes
Single story homes are often the easiest to retrofit, especially if basement or attic access is readily available. In these cases, your cooling installation services provider will generally choose either ceiling or floor registers depending on where access is more straightforward. Since there is no need to run ductwork from one floor to another, minimal home modifications are necessary.
Split-Level Ranches
Popular in the '70s and early '80s, many well-built split-level homes still exist today. While these houses are relatively modern, their construction often predates the widespread popularity of forced air heating and central air conditioning. As a result, these homes rarely have original ductwork. Despite this, they are often well-suited to retrofits. Many split-level homes have lower level family rooms with exposed or drop ceilings, providing a perfect location for second-story floor ductwork. With basement access, ductwork installations can smoothly proceed without the need to route ductwork into the attic.
Multi-Level Homes
Traditional homes with two or more stories present a more considerable challenge, but new ductwork doesn't have to be destructive or involve tearing down walls and ceilings. If basement and attic access are available, then new ducts can typically be routed through closets. Once the ductwork reaches the attic, it can be run above each room for ceiling vent installations. While this often means losing a small amount of closet space, it offers a much more straightforward solution than altering existing walls or changing the layout of the home.
More Difficult Cases
What if you don't have a home well-suited to new ductwork or you want to avoid the mess and hassle of altering existing closets? Fortunately, you still have options. In these cases, it is worthwhile to consider ductless or mini-split systems. These systems function similarly to a traditional central air system, but consolidated air handler and heat exchanger units in each room remove the need for interior air ducting. Instead, refrigerant plumbing runs from the outdoor unit to each room. This plumbing can be run along the exterior of the house, making it much easier to retrofit into older homes.
When you build a home or make a large addition to the home, you will hire a general contractor to oversee the project and do the majority of the work. This individual may subcontract some small tasks to specialists, such as window installers and HVAC techs, but for the most part, it is their responsibility to ensure everything is built according to plan.
As you can imagine, general contractors have very varied jobs. No two days are alike! On this website, you will learn more about what general contractors do, which will come in handy the next time you need to hire one.