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Quote #1 is a 4 ton capacity and #2 is a 5 ton capacity. What gives? You can get away with a 1/2 ton bump but you can't slap a 5 tons of cooling on 3.5 tons worth of ductwork + you'll be miserable on the first muggy day. I'd throw proposal #2 in the trash even if the price was 10 bucks.
My house - built in 1925 - has forced air heat and supply ducts only. The quote I got for a new system and the necessary ductwork was $14,000.
Needless to say, this house won't have central air as long as I own it!
The mini split systems are interesting, especially on my first floor, which is pretty open and cooled with a 13,000 BTU window unit. Thanks to all who posted about them.
There's a lot of info on ductless on This Old House sites.
We put in central air in a historic home. The first floor compressor went under the rear porch. The second floor....well, to be near the air handler and to be outdoors, we had to put it on a roof that went over part of the first floor. That required a crane.
After a while ductless became popular and we put it in a couple of areas to boost where the central a/c was not totally successful in the western sun.
Western sun combined with kitchen heat...a good window unit. Ahh, cool air and bacon.
Quote #1 is a 4 ton capacity and #2 is a 5 ton capacity. What gives? You can get away with a 1/2 ton bump but you can't slap a 5 tons of cooling on 3.5 tons worth of ductwork + you'll be miserable on the first muggy day. I'd throw proposal #2 in the trash even if the price was 10 bucks.
i thought that the current unit being replaced was 3.5 tons. ill have to double check on that. i didnt realize that one quote had a 4 ton and the other quote a 5 ton unit.
i am still not sure it is wise to even replace the unit considering the space it covers is fine without it. someone may say that the other units are working harder to cover that shortfall but i feel like its not going to save me money adding a whole additional a/c unit.
I had AC installed in a 1955 split level. Back in 1996, it was about $6000. The home had oil heat, so no duct work. They ran the ducts through the closets so there was minimal disruption to my walls. It was well worth the cost. The house was so hot I could not stand it and couldn't have company over.
Should I ask this somewhere else, or is this an appropriate question for this forum?
Just asking about BALLPARK, since I know it will depend on the area.
Summer gets over 100 regularly, though by no means consistently (June, July, August, September). It cools off a bit at night, some humidity, but not a lot.
House built in 1925 (excellent condition, and everything else otherwise UTD), VERY shady lot, which I expect is how they have lived with just window a/c units. Main 1400 sf, basement 1200 sf. Heat looks to be forced air/ but listing says steam, assuming that makes a difference. I haven't looked at it inside yet (a nearby state), but plan to soon.
The lack of central a/c will not kill me, though I don't love heat. I just wonder approximately what it would cost, so I have that in the back of my mind.
Adding proper ductwork to an older home can be intrusive and expensive. But you should not let price be the only factor in determining a solution.
People often go ductless.
Mitshubishi has been at the top of the multi zone ductless A/C and heat pump game for many years.
I have installed their Mr. Slim products in the past, they are great! Quiet and efficient with attractive indoor evaporator units.
One thing to be aware of though with some of the Mr. Slim products. If you choose a multi zone heat pump model, some of the Mr. Slim products can only have all of the zones in heat mode, or all of the zones in cool mode. This matters if you have rooms that have vastly different air treatment needs, or have separate his/her comfort levels. Just pay attention to the product details.
With a mini-split, how would you get conditioned air into the bathrooms?
You dont. Many homes with central heat/AC do not have air treatment in bathrooms, or at the very least, no air returns. In cold climes a radiant heater and a small extractor fan are added.
You dont. Many homes with central heat/AC do not have air treatment in bathrooms...
Many? No. A few here and there, retrofits like the OP is considering almost all.
Bathrooms have had HVAC outlets in NEW construction about as long there has been ductwork.
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...or at the very least, no air returns.
Kitchens will also not have returns.
That's a code issue and for the same basic reasons.
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In cold climes a radiant heater...
In warmer climes as well when the central system is adequate.
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...and a small extractor fan are added.
All bathrooms require (code again) a exhaust fan or window regardless of HVAC type.
The hardware cost for a mini split is going to equal or exceed the cost of a real central a/c system, you're only "saving" the excessive labor markup on installing real ductwork. As mentioned previously, the actual tin work is cheap, you're just getting hammered for labor by an industry that is full of fast-buck artists.
I would agree that there are some fast buck artists out there, but doing duct work right is not always cheap, especially on an older home retrofit.
Having a guy/gal plan the duct work that knows IAQ and air movement science (yes, it is science!), sized properly with the right materials, and being aware of the system capacity control features (will the air always be moving at the same velocity/volume through the ductwork?) is the critical part of planning the duct. If done right, it may not be cheap.
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