You may have been living, uncomfortably, without central air conditioning for a while and are now considering installing it. You may also have saved up the money to install central air conditioning. To decide if your home is ready for central AC, you need to understand its pros and cons. Here are some factors you need to consider.

Check Your Furnace and Ductwork

A central air conditioner actually needs a furnace to help it work. This is because the furnace’s fan helps to blow both warm and cool air through your house via ductwork. If the furnace and ductwork in your home are in good shape, you can have an HVAC specialist determine whether it can handle the addition of central AC. If it can’t, you can upgrade to a more powerful furnace and ductwork.

One drawback is that installing central AC is more complex if your home doesn’t have ductwork. Some HVAC specialists recommend that you install a ductless mini-split system instead of paying to have ductwork, vents and other accoutrements of a central AC system installed. A ductless system isn’t necessarily less expensive, but installing central AC in a home that doesn’t have a duct system is much more disruptive.

Check Your Home’s Insulation

HVAC contractors consider Many houses that are over 20 years old to be badly insulated. A well-insulated house reduces the leakage of both cool and warm air when your HVAC system is running. This leakage reduces a central air conditioning system’s efficiency. HVAC professionals use what’s called a blower door test to determine where air leaks are in your home. You’ll want to seal these before you have central AC installed, and that does cost money.

Is Your Electrical System Ready for Central AC?

Another component to be mindful of is your electrical system. It also needs to be powerful enough to bear the increased load of central air conditioning. If it’s not, you’ll need to have an electrician upgrade it so that it can run your AC safely and efficiently.

Consider the Size of Your Home

The square footage of your home is one important factor in determining how powerful your central air conditioning system needs to be. Others include the number of household members, your insulation, and the amount of direct sunlight the house receives. Again, an HVAC professional can help to calculate how much power you need. This is important to know. An AC that’s too small won’t cool down your house, but one that’s too big will cycle on and off, putting the system under too much stress.

Call Us to Learn More About the Pros and Cons of Central AC

Is your fan or heat pump not keeping you cool enough during those muggy South Carolina nights? Your home may be just right for central air conditioning. To learn more about the pros and cons of central AC installation in Charleston, SC, give us a call at C&C Myers.