Home Renovation From Heating and Cooling to Other Essential Upgrades

 

Whether you’ve just purchased an older home in need of repairs or are planning to renovate your existing house, there’s a good chance you have a variety of construction projects on your list. Since you’ll be using experienced general contractors for these projects, you may also be interested in some additional upgrades that can be made during this process.

Beneficial HVAC Upgrades

Older homes tend to have less-efficient air conditioning systems and usually need air conditioning repair on a regular basis. When you have an expert HVAC service inspect your current system, they may recommend switching it out for a high-efficiency air conditioner rather than having an air conditioning repair. These newer models will usually reduce your home’s energy consumption by as much as 20% to 50%. This is keeping in mind, of course, that you take other actions, such as sealing cracks and replacing drafty windows and doors.

Air conditioning in general is quite costly. Homeowners throughout the United States spend over $11 billion a year to keep these systems running. Since these systems are relied upon to provide relief from hot weather conditions, it’s important to schedule regular maintenance to keep them functioning as designed.

If your house has a traditional duct system to provide cooling and heating, you may want to have this inspected. The older duct systems tend to use over 30% more energy. Furthermore, they can lose up to 40% of the cool air that you would want to have circulating throughout your home. When you decide to upgrade your old system for a ductless mini split cooling and heating system, you will be able to decrease your energy consumption and create a more comfortable indoor temperature.

Beneficial Heating Upgrades

Natural gas is commonly used to heat homes within the United States. Currently, it is the most common type of heating fuel, and is used in 57% of homes throughout the country. Almost half of the energy used in American households is for heating and cooling. Since it will depend on where these homes are located, some may use a larger percentage. This is especially the case in areas that experience extreme weather conditions.

Furnaces and boilers have different life expectancies. When they’re well-maintained, furnaces will last between 15 to 18 years, and boilers 15 to 30. These two heat sources have different efficiency levels as well. Some of the newer high-efficiency gas furnaces, however, have roughly 97% efficiency. The lowest efficiency the law allows is 78%, so purchasing a high-efficiency heating system makes good financial sense. Since these systems have an annual fuel utilization efficiency of 90% to 98.5%, this can help households reduce their energy usage and save on their heating bills.

Contact an Experienced Contractor for More Beneficial Tips

When you need air conditioning repair or other general contractor services, it’s important to hire experienced professionals. Since these contractors have worked on a variety of construction projects, they will be able to provide additional renovation tips and make all of the necessary upgrades that appeal to you. Once all of the projects on your list have been completed, remember to schedule regular maintenance inspections so that your home continues to be comfortable and energy-efficient throughout the year.