Retrofitting for Air Conditioning
Koontz - Jen sent us a note asking about retrofitting her older home for air conditioning. What kind of system do you choose when your home hasn't had A/C and it's not just a matter of replacing the old unit? And how is it installed in homes that were not originally designed for A/C.
My first response to you Jen is that you seem to have done your homework already and at some levels, you know more about these systems than Jodi or I do.
Air Conditioning and Heating systems are an interesting mix of simple theory, complex install. The theory of what you want to accomplish is simple, determining the right system for a specific area and specific house and having it work to its optimum is fairly complex though. Because of this, A/C and Heating Contractors are one of the 30 (40?) or so specific categories that the state licenses seperately.
So the first bit of advice I have is to find a really good A/C company. As usual, having a license in the field does not insure the knowledge base of the company. A client of mine had an A/C unit installed while we were working on his kitchen and the system has never performed satisfactorily. There are hot and cold spots all over the place and it seems a simple screw-up of not having sized the vents and placement correctly. Disappointing when you've spent $7,000. to be comfortable.
The next bit of advice; in older homes you typically have the option of attic or crawl space install for conventional heating and/or cooling systems. In my own 1930's home I chose the attic because it was so spacious and I had easy runs to all the rooms. I don't know the area you're working with, or how things were built in your homes' era, but if it's an older home, one of those should be accessible to you. Installing new ductwork is more expensive than simply replacing an older unit, but it's not so pricey that it makes the project un-doable. Around my area, installation of new ducting will add $2,000-3,000. to your project on average.
Good advice on alternative systems is a tougher question to address. I'm all for them, but I know little in terms of real experience to pass-on.
You mentioned High Velocity A/C Jen, and I love the theory of this system. In my area, where 100 degree plus days for weeks on end are more the norm than not, I doubt I will ever have the opportunity to see one of these units unless one of the developers gets on board with it and starts installing it as the standard. Because the system works differently than a conventional A/C it would just be a hard sell to clients who want to feel the cold air blowing. It's a great idea though and if you can visit a home that uses it on a nice warm day and the place is comfortable, that's as good a recommendation as you can get. Obviously the next questions are reliability, life expectancy, and warranty. www.spacepak has a nice website that runs you through the system if you haven't come across them yet.
Split-systems for heat and A/C are a great system, and use to be a standard in building. In these systems the units are seperate and are ducted seperately with heat typically rising from the floor and cool air dropping from the ceiling or high wall. Since hot air rises and cold air falls, it was a logical system. The dilemma with a split-system is that you are literally buying two units, one for heating and one for cooling. Your costs for both install and replacement have just doubled. I don't know about the "mini" systems you mention. Logic tells me that as micro-chips have shrunk in size and expanded in capability, the same should be true of other systems. Often our building systems don't improve because of the lack of demand, but once the consumer demands a better system, changes happen. A good example of this is the conventional water heater vs. the on demand water heater. Again, the proof is in the pudding...can you get inside a home where the system is already in use?
Finally, with respect to radiant heating. Going back to the physics books, this is a system that hasn't become the standard simply through a lack of getting it out to the publics' eye it seems to me. Even passive radiant heating works-a friend of mine did it on his porch enclosure. If he had opted to use dual-glazed windows in that room it would probably be the toastiest room in his house.
So this long winded post is really just going to tell you what you already seem to know; there are options beyond the conventional roof-top or side-yard dual functioning unit and many of those options incorporate better physics than the older conventional systems. Find a good company, look at some of their installs and talk to their clients and see how they like the system and be our guinea pig...I'd love to know what you choose and how you think it works after a season.
My first response to you Jen is that you seem to have done your homework already and at some levels, you know more about these systems than Jodi or I do.
Air Conditioning and Heating systems are an interesting mix of simple theory, complex install. The theory of what you want to accomplish is simple, determining the right system for a specific area and specific house and having it work to its optimum is fairly complex though. Because of this, A/C and Heating Contractors are one of the 30 (40?) or so specific categories that the state licenses seperately.
So the first bit of advice I have is to find a really good A/C company. As usual, having a license in the field does not insure the knowledge base of the company. A client of mine had an A/C unit installed while we were working on his kitchen and the system has never performed satisfactorily. There are hot and cold spots all over the place and it seems a simple screw-up of not having sized the vents and placement correctly. Disappointing when you've spent $7,000. to be comfortable.
The next bit of advice; in older homes you typically have the option of attic or crawl space install for conventional heating and/or cooling systems. In my own 1930's home I chose the attic because it was so spacious and I had easy runs to all the rooms. I don't know the area you're working with, or how things were built in your homes' era, but if it's an older home, one of those should be accessible to you. Installing new ductwork is more expensive than simply replacing an older unit, but it's not so pricey that it makes the project un-doable. Around my area, installation of new ducting will add $2,000-3,000. to your project on average.
Good advice on alternative systems is a tougher question to address. I'm all for them, but I know little in terms of real experience to pass-on.
You mentioned High Velocity A/C Jen, and I love the theory of this system. In my area, where 100 degree plus days for weeks on end are more the norm than not, I doubt I will ever have the opportunity to see one of these units unless one of the developers gets on board with it and starts installing it as the standard. Because the system works differently than a conventional A/C it would just be a hard sell to clients who want to feel the cold air blowing. It's a great idea though and if you can visit a home that uses it on a nice warm day and the place is comfortable, that's as good a recommendation as you can get. Obviously the next questions are reliability, life expectancy, and warranty. www.spacepak has a nice website that runs you through the system if you haven't come across them yet.
Split-systems for heat and A/C are a great system, and use to be a standard in building. In these systems the units are seperate and are ducted seperately with heat typically rising from the floor and cool air dropping from the ceiling or high wall. Since hot air rises and cold air falls, it was a logical system. The dilemma with a split-system is that you are literally buying two units, one for heating and one for cooling. Your costs for both install and replacement have just doubled. I don't know about the "mini" systems you mention. Logic tells me that as micro-chips have shrunk in size and expanded in capability, the same should be true of other systems. Often our building systems don't improve because of the lack of demand, but once the consumer demands a better system, changes happen. A good example of this is the conventional water heater vs. the on demand water heater. Again, the proof is in the pudding...can you get inside a home where the system is already in use?
Finally, with respect to radiant heating. Going back to the physics books, this is a system that hasn't become the standard simply through a lack of getting it out to the publics' eye it seems to me. Even passive radiant heating works-a friend of mine did it on his porch enclosure. If he had opted to use dual-glazed windows in that room it would probably be the toastiest room in his house.
So this long winded post is really just going to tell you what you already seem to know; there are options beyond the conventional roof-top or side-yard dual functioning unit and many of those options incorporate better physics than the older conventional systems. Find a good company, look at some of their installs and talk to their clients and see how they like the system and be our guinea pig...I'd love to know what you choose and how you think it works after a season.
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