When you buy an older home in Savannah, Georgia, you’re faced with a variety of decisions about the house’s infrastructure. For instance, older HVAC systems often prove ineffective and inefficient, so you might need to replace yours after you move in. Before you settle on an HVAC unit, you might want to consider a ductless system for your older home.
You’re Planning to Renovate or Remodel
Many people buy older or historic homes in Savannah with the intention of remodeling or renovating them to suit the homeowner’s specific tastes. If you’re planning to demolish walls and open up small, cramped rooms, you might want to upgrade the ductwork as well.
Ductless systems are highly efficient and easy to maintain, making them popular choices among homeowners. The ductwork design and installation processes are very important. Mistakes made during either phase can affect, comfort, energy efficiency, and indoor air quality.
You Prefer a Quieter House
Older homes are notoriously noisy. Original wood floors, expanding and contracting shiplap, and old foundations can make the entire house creaky. A quieter HVAC system won’t contribute to those noises, so it won’t wake you up in the middle of the night as the air conditioner or furnace comes on.
This is because air makes noise as it passes through ductwork. By eliminating the ducts, you’ll remove the potential for swishing or thumping sounds that disturb your enjoyment of the home.
Your Older Home Is Limited on Space
Modern homes have become more open and spacious as aesthetic preferences and economic conditions have changed. Older Savannah homes often feature smaller footprints that make bulky ductwork less practical. Maybe the previous owners cooled the house with window units, which are highly inefficient, so you’ll have to add ductwork if you want central air.
In this case, a ductless mini-split system makes more sense. It takes up far less room, so you won’t have to forego the storage space you’ve allocated for your crafting supplies or sporting equipment. Plus, the installation process is faster and less disruptive, so you’ll get to enjoy your new (old) home much quicker.
You’re Tired of High Energy Bills
Older homes often prove less efficient than their modern counterparts. They were built before construction standards started including green and energy-efficient standards, which means your energy bills might come as a nasty surprise. Older windows, doors, baseboards, and walls might facilitate rapid heat loss and gain, forcing your air conditioner and furnace to run longer.
Ductless systems won’t make your windows or doors more efficient, but they’ll eliminate ducts — another common source of heat loss and gain. Tiny rips and tears in the duct lining create air leaks, so less of the energy your HVAC system consumes goes to heating and cooling your home.
You Want to Heat and Cool Rooms Differently
In addition to their efficiency, ductless mini-split systems are also flexible. Every air handler comes with its own set of controls so you can adjust the temperatures for bedrooms, living areas, and other rooms independently. Maybe you like a warm bedroom, but your kids get hot at night. Ductless systems allow you to account for those differences.
This feature is also useful if there are rooms in your older home that you don’t use very often, such as a formal dining room or spare bedroom. There’s no use spending money to heat and cool those spaces if nobody occupies them.
You Don’t Want to Rip Out Walls and Ceilings
Some older homes don’t come fitted with ductwork. If you decide to install a traditional system with ductwork, you’ll have to rip out walls and ceilings to make room for the infrastructure. Our technicians can install a ductless system much faster and with far less demolition.
Ductless can be a great choice for older Savannah homes, but they come with a variety of advantages. If you’re not sure what type of system will work best for your home, our HVAC technicians are happy to advise you. Give McDevitt Air a call at 877-692-9402 to schedule an appointment.
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