Designing your new home's HVAC system might not be exciting, but it can hugely influence how much you enjoy your house over the long run, not to mention your ownership costs. Choosing the right system to heat your home will keep you feeling warm and cozy all winter long, while the wrong system can lead mean inconsistent heating, high running costs, and even premature failures.
Working with an experienced HVAC contractor to design your home's new system is the most important thing you can do, but your decisions still matter. If you're thinking about how you want to heat your new home, make sure you keep these three essential considerations in mind.
1. Current and Future Energy Prices
If you live in a part of the country that experiences cold winters, you'll probably need to choose between natural gas and oil heating. While electric furnaces are effective in warmer parts of the country, they can struggle to perform well in cold environments. As a result, you'll often need to compare local fuel prices and consider whether gas or oil will be a more cost-effective option.
However, it's also worth thinking about future trends. Heat pumps are another alternative worth considering if heating oil or fuel seems to be getting more expensive in your area. These systems provide incredibly efficient heating while running on electricity, making them an option for many parts of the country that receive cold, but not necessarily frigid, winters.
2. Efficiency Requirements
New construction is often one of the best times to consider installing high-efficiency heating equipment. While high-efficiency models can be expensive compared to standard efficiency options, this price differential is often minor relative to your overall construction costs. Higher-efficiency units will also pay back some of their price in reduced operating costs, making them cheaper than they initially seem.
Another consideration is the need for additional installation work with higher-efficiency furnaces. These units typically require PVC flues, air intake pipes, and plumbing for condensate. Installing one now means that your new home will already have this plumbing in place, making it cheaper to install high-efficiency heating equipment in the future.
3. Zoning
By far, the best time to install a zoning system in your home is during construction. Retrofitting HVAC zoning systems can be challenging and may involve less optimal solutions that perform poorly or operate inefficiently. Installing a zoned heating system from the start means that your contractor can do the job correctly, ensuring a system that works well and doesn't affect your overall efficiency.
In fact, adding zones to your home may even improve your HVAC system efficiency. Since you won't need to heat the entire house at all times, you can save money by only heating occupied spaces. If you're building a larger home, these advantages can mean drastically improved comfort with much lower utility bills.
For more information about heating services, contact a local company.
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