A whole-house HVAC system is a prerequisite for your home
If you’re on the market shopping for home building materials, then a top-notch HVAC system should definitely be on your shopping cart.
We all want our new home to be built with the best materials, incorporate sustainable solutions, and have a premium aesthetic appeal. And rightly so, since building a home is not like grocery shopping; you build it only once.
In the same vein, HVAC systems are also critical to regulating the indoor climate of your home and maintaining optimum air quality. After all, you want your dream abode to be a cozy and comfortable space as much as you want it to be solid and durable.
But unlike structural systems, HVACs can be a complicated lot, more so if you’re new to home construction.
Nevertheless, you can rest easy as we’ve here a detailed residential HVAC buying guide. And we assure you that with our expert insights, you’ll be equipped with all the knowledge to buy the best HVAC solution.
So read on and find all the essential information that you’re looking for.
Residential HVAC system: what exactly is it?
Before we get into the details about buying the right HVAC, it’s important you understand what it is precisely.
To put it simply, HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and cooling systems, which together allow you to control your home’s temperature, humidity levels, freshness, and overall indoor atmosphere.
We use some of the HVACs in our day-to-day lives but call them by different names. For instance, you might already be using a heat pump, furnace, air con, etc., in your present home.
An HVAC system is a combination of all these components and more that work together to maintain a perfect indoor ambiance.
For instance, apart from the regular heating and cooling systems, a typical HVAC package will also include air filters to remove dust, dander, allergens, etc. Similarly, one such package may also come with a humidifier to maintain the required moisture levels in your living space.
Why install HVACs in the first place?
Now, that’s the million-dollar question before you buy an HVAC package, and an important one since HVAC units call for a significant investment.
You see, when it comes to creating the right indoor ambient temperature, individual heaters, and air conditioners are no match to an all-inclusive HVAC unit.
Also, buying an HVAC package is way more cost-efficient when compared to buying different heating and air systems.
So you shouldn’t be surprised when we say that the latest EIA figures point to roughly 90 percent of American households already using some form of HVACs.
In short, with a whole-house HVAC package, you can rest assured of optimum ambient temperature in your home throughout the year, notwithstanding the weather outside.
How do HVAC systems work?
Having figured out the purpose and utility of a home HVAC unit, you may now wonder how these systems actually work.
At its very basic, an HVAC package works with the cohesion of heating, cooling, and ventilation to efficiently regulate the indoor climate. However, modern residential HVACs are more than the basics and deploy a lot more accessories.
For instance, in Florida’s warm and humid climate, the cooling or air conditioning system will kick in together with a dehumidifier, thus creating a cool and relaxing interior ambiance.
Similarly, in colder climates, a heat pump or furnace jumps into action by pumping warm air into the indoor space and warming the area up. Also, you might find a high-capacity humidifier handy during the dry winter spell.
Looking for more information on the working of HVACs?
You can go through Forbes magazine’s guide on how HVAC systems work.
What does an HVAC system consist of?
An HVAC package for a home can either be ducted or ductless. And while ducted HVAC systems call for dedicated ductwork, ductless HVACs have individual heating, cooling, and other components that work independently without ductwork.
Nevertheless, a typical HVAC package will have all the essential appliances for regulating the indoor climate, and more, regardless of whether it is ducted or ductless. And that includes the following:
1. Air conditioning system
When in the Sunshine State, as also other parts of the country, you can’t imagine living in a home without air conditioning. After all, you want a safe haven where you can beat the heat.
And to that end, an air conditioning system or air con is the most crucial home HVAC equipment.
Now, air conditioners can be both ducted and ductless and are typically available in three kinds, namely:
Central air conditioners
The centralized air cons are ducted HVACs that call for installing a duct system throughout your home.
Once fixated on ducting, these powerful air conditioning systems allow cool air to travel through your indoor area.
While central air cons were seen mostly in commercial spaces or large buildings, many homeowners prefer them these days over other cooling systems. That’s because, apart from being powerful, these air conditioners are also efficient and allow for effortless cooling.
How?
You see, all central ACs are equipped with a thermostat that senses the indoor temperature and starts cooling the moment the temperature starts to go up. Also, these cooling systems come with filters to remove dust, pollen, allergens, etc., and thus act as air quality HVAC systems.
Ductless split air conditioners
A ductless air con HVAC works on the same principle as centralized systems. But the only difference is that the former cool individual rooms, meaning you’ll need multiple such systems to effectively cool your home.
So why install one?
Well, a ducted central cooling system can be too expensive upfront, which isn’t the case with ductless HVACs. In fact, a ductless split air conditioner costs way less than its ducted counterparts.
Likewise, the fact that no ducting is needed means that installation is affordable and hassle-free too.
In essence, if you’re looking for a simple and cost-efficient HVAC for home cooling, then a ductless mini air con should be your best bet.
Bonus: Did you know there are solar-powered ductless air conditioners on the market too?
Such air con packages come with solar panels, storage batteries, and controllers, apart from the condensers and air vents. Meaning you can take your cooling system completely off the grid and save big on energy expenses.
Window air cons
These are the least expensive and highly energy-efficient HVACs for cooling your home. And that’s exactly why you can find a lot of single family homes using one.
Unlike split systems, a window air conditioner has both an air handler and condensing system in one unit. This makes the installation process very simple, as all you’ve got to do is fit one in your window.
Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?
2. HVAC heating systems
Another major component of the HVACs is the heating system. And such is the importance of HVAC heating components that they are the mainstay of both residential and commercial HVAC systems in a lot of places.
Talking about an HVAC heating system, it mainly consists of two appliances, namely the furnace heaters and heat pumps. Let’s have a look up close at both:
Furnace heaters
Furnace heaters are one of the oldest HVACs. However, while the older furnace heaters needed gas to run, their newer avatars run entirely on electricity. So compared to the old school furnace heaters, the new ones are not only ecologically sound but also budget-friendly.
Furnace heaters are ducted units wherein hot air is forced through the ducts, which is then circulated in your home via different air vents. Also, just like the central air conditioners, the ducts for furnace heaters too have filters to keep the indoor air clean.
Heat pumps
A heat pump works very similarly to an air conditioner, the only difference being that the latter reverses the process to warm your home instead of cooling it.
And according to the Department of Energy, heat pumps are 50 percent more energy efficient compared to furnace heaters.
Not to mention, heat pumps are both ducted and ductless, so you can easily choose one that suits your needs.
That’s impressive, isn’t it?
Note: a heat pump might not be very effective in extremely cold climates, meaning furnace heaters work best to keep your home warm in such conditions.
You might also want to read – Solar Assisted Heat Pumps: Everything You Need To Know About.
3. Ventilation systems
We can’t agree more with the fact that there is nothing better than a naturally ventilated home. In fact, opening your doors and windows for that fresh breeze of air is still the best natural way to ventilate your indoor space.
Nevertheless, in this day and age, the idea of naturally ventilating your home isn’t without problems. For instance, from comfortable outdoor temperatures to humid weather conditions to dust and dander to noise, there’s a long list of problems that you might encounter.
And this is precisely where an HVAC ventilation unit comes in handy, complementing natural ventilation with effective airflow even when all your doors and windows are shut.
Simply put, a whole-house ventilation system is your one-stop solution for fresh and clean air circulation across your home hassle-free.
4. HVAC heating + cooling combo packages
As the name itself suggests, these HVAC systems combine both heat pumps and air conditioners into one unit.
Even though these combined heating and cooling HVACs aren’t very common among households, they’re fast becoming popular. And thanks to their versatility and cost-efficiency, smaller homeowners are quickly switching over to these to save up time, money, and space.
5. Add-ons
Apart from the basic HVACs that we just discussed, there are also some other appliances that fall in the HVAC category.
For instance, air cleanliness systems like HVAC indoor air quality products, along with humidification and dehumidification systems, are also, by and large, HVAC systems.
Some important things to consider before you buy an HVAC system:
1. Indoor ambiance: go for utmost comfort
Your HVAC solution should be such that it creates a comfortable interior space by effectively maintaining the desired temperature.
In the same way, the HVAC should also be able to maintain optimum air quality.
2. Energy-efficiency is key
You can go for one of the best brands of HVAC systems, but it is no guarantee of energy efficiency. So it’s important that you check whether or not the HVAC meets the Department of Energy’s standards for energy efficiency.
3. Modern thermostats for effective control
We agree that the more advanced thermostats on the market are in the higher price range compared to the basic ones. Nonetheless, the advantages of such thermostats far outweigh the initial cost.
For instance, advanced programmable thermostats let you control your HVAC remotely from your smart devices. And that lets you reduce energy consumption when the HVACs are not in use, apart from increasing the overall longevity of the HVAC unit.
4. Prioritize a low-maintenance solution
When it comes to maintenance costs, HVAC systems can be one of the most expensive household appliances to maintain. So we suggest you go for a low–maintenance solution, as it will reduce your long-term expenses on upkeeping the system.
For instance, ductless systems call for lesser maintenance compared to their ducted counterparts.
5. HVACs should be quiet
Depending on their machinery and fitting quality, HVAC systems can get too noisy sometimes. Thus, it’s crucial you check for both pre-installation and post-installation noises and make sure the system runs quietly.
6. Warranty
The warranty cover of your HVAC system can save you a lot of time and effort in terms of maintaining the unit. As such, it’s clever to go for an HVAC package that has the longest warranty cover.
HVAC installation: DIY vs. professional
A DIY installation project can be lucrative when it comes to HVAC systems. However, unlike generic home addition projects, HVACs are a complicated lot.
So we suggest you leave HVAC installation to licensed experts.
These professionals have the right knowledge, tools, and years of experience. Meaning by letting an expert do the installation, you can rest assured of safe and optimum functioning.
Conclusion
An HVAC system is as important for your home as the structural components. And to that end, it’s important that you go for the best HVAC solution available.
You see, contrary to the assumption, the best HVAC systems need not be the most expensive. In fact, you can get the best of HVACs at the most affordable prices.
Looking for one such budget-friendly yet effective HVAC package?
You can get in touch with us!
At Eco-$mart Inc, we have an extensive range of eco-friendly, energy-saving, and cost-efficient HVAC products. So whatever your requirement is, we’ve got it covered.
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