People often associate comfort as having the softest furniture in their home. They usually take for granted that the comfort that they experience in their homes is primarily caused by the HVAC systems installed in homes. HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning and is a system that provides heat and cold air to people’s homes. Installing an HVAC system such as air conditioners or a centralized vrf system in your home may be a substantial investment. This is why it is important to carefully plan and choose an HVAC system that will work for your home. Here are some steps in choosing the right HVAC system for your home.
If you have recently purchased a home, check to see if it already has an HVAC system in place. Check for existing ductwork. Ducts are tubes or passageways which are spread throughout the house for air to pass through. If your home already has existing ductwork, it is best to utilize this system and invest in a ducted air conditioner. However, it is best to hire a professional HVAC contractor to assess the condition of your home’s ductwork. Poorly designed ductwork or leakages in the system may result in 30 to 40 per cent energy loss, which may increase your energy costs in the long run.
Systems for heating and cooling your home’s indoor air have different types. Ducted Air Conditioners uses a system of ducts and air passages to distribute conditioned air into different living areas within your home. This is a type of centralized air conditioning system where you can program a central thermostat for heating and cooling operations. However, ducted air conditioners will only be able to perform one operation at a time and cannot heat and cool living areas simultaneously.
On the other hand, a vrf system or variable refrigerant flow system is also a centralized system but does not require a ductwork system to distribute conditioned air. Instead, the refrigerant is cycled through tubes connected to one or more air handler units installed throughout your home. For more sophisticated types of vrf system, each air handler unit can be programmed for whatever operation the user may require. For example, a user in one bedroom may program an air handler for cooling while the rest of the air handler units are programmed for heating.
The type of HVAC system that you will need will depend on your home‘s size and the number of living areas that will receive conditioned air. Underpowered HVAC systems will struggle to provide the right air temperatures for your home. On the other hand, oversized units will cost significantly higher to install. When choosing a centralized HVAC system, you should choose one that is just right with a little extra for your home just if you want to add in an extended living space in the future.
Whatever type of heating and cooling system you choose, you should keep in mind the system’s Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). It would help if you also remembered that systems with higher SEER ratings would be more expensive to install. However, the high initial costs will be a worthwhile investment for a vrf system since you will get more savings on energy costs while keeping your family comfortable in the long run.
