Building your dream home can be an exciting (and stressful) process. During the planning phase, you will need to make a lot of important decisions that will impact the function and comfort of your new home.
In this blog post, we will go over questions designed to help you choose an HVAC system for new home construction. If you have further questions, we recommend consulting with a Lansing heating and cooling contractor near you.
WHERE ARE YOU BUILDING?
The climate will determine which HVAC systems are practical to heat and cool your home. For example, you’ll want a reliable home heating system for the cold Michigan winters. Both furnaces and heat pumps supply reliable heat for homeowners during the winter months. Heat pumps work by taking advantage of air underneath the surface of the earth that stays around 47 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Depending on the temperature, this air is used to heat or cool your home. Furnaces work by igniting gas to heat air. This warm air is then forced through ducts to heat your home.
DO YOU WANT AIR CONDITIONING?
For most Michiganders, the answer to this question is yes. The next step is to determine what to pick from the different types of air conditioning systems. If you want customized air-conditioned comfort in a specific room, you may want to go with ductless systems. Ductless systems are also great for any additions you decide to build after initial construction. If you want cool air pumped throughout your home, you’ll want to invest in an air conditioning unit.
IS ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPORTANT TO YOU?
Energy-efficient heating and cooling appliances often have higher start-up costs, but lower energy costs in the long term. According to homeadvisor.com, the national average cost of heat pump installation is $5,386 while the cost for new furnace installation is $4,177. Some homeowners consider energy-efficient HVAC systems a worthy investment in their home while others may not place energy efficiency as a high priority.
SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The SEER rating for an air conditioner measures its energy efficiency, which is the amount of energy it takes to produce a certain amount of cool air. Energy-efficient air conditioners will have high SEER ratings. Furnaces and boilers use AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) to measure energy efficiency.
WHAT’S YOUR BUDGET?
While radiant floor heating may currently be on your wish list, check to see if it’s feasible for your budget. According to Angie’s List, the cost of hydronic radiant floor heating runs between $9,000 and $22,500 for a 1,500 square foot home. Keep in mind that radiant flooring is often a supplemental source of heat for climates that experience wide temperature fluctuations.
Furnaces cost significantly less and are able to heat your entire home during the most bitter winter days. Your budget will ultimately determine what new construction HVAC systems are feasible to install. For example, many homeowners choose to only install radiant heating in certain rooms, such as the kitchen.
A-1 Mechanical is a Lansing heating and cooling company dedicated to helping homeowners pick the right HVAC system for their future residences. If you are interested in learning more about our new home construction HVAC services, give us a call at (517) 272-8629.