Old House Air Conditioning - Air conditioning older homes can be a little tricky.
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Handling Old House Air Conditioning Obstacles

Old house air conditioning can be a very challenging and involved process for any contractor. Problems are encountered because of the designs of older homes. Often these homes have had rooms or even levels added over the years. Many older homes were built in stages, as families grew new sections were built to meet living requirements. This often creates unique situations where duct sizing is restricted.

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A common belief is that air conditioners need to have new refrigerant added occasionally. This not true. If refrigerant has to be added to your air conditioner, it means the system has developed a leak and it must be repaired.

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Because of this, duct sizes are often reduced to the point that they don't allow sufficient airflow. Some of the symptoms of restricted air flow are uneven temperatures from one room to another (sometimes these differences can be very dramatic), noisy air flow in the duct system (as duct size decreases air flow velocity increases and static pressure in the duct system can become excessive).

Another symptom of undersized duct systems is reduced operating efficiency of the air conditioner or heat pump. Unfortunately this problem is not as obvious as the ones listed above. This is why proper load calculations are an extremely important part of any air conditioning or heat pump installation.

Mention to contractors when you talk to them that you have concerns about the project and ask if they have experience in this area. A contractor who has experience with this type of project should be able to handle any complications. This is where an experienced contractor will be an asset. He will have gained some valuable experience and insight from past projects that may help overcome problems that he will encounter in your home. Nothing beats experience.

If your home is only one level with a basement you will not likely encounter to many difficulties, but installing central heat and air in an old two storey house can present some unique obstacles and you should search for somebody with proper credentials. This means getting references, and checking with these references.

There are some options if a full duct system can't be installed in your older home. Air conditioning equipment has evolved over the years and there are other options to central air conditioners. Ductless split systems are only one possible solution. These systems have an indoor and an outdoor section but there is no ductwork to be installed. Air conditioning older homes sometimes takes some creative thinking on the part of your contractor but almost every problem has a solution.


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