
Building a home is an adventure, providing a blank canvas from which you can produce a living space truly made for you. Take a few minutes to explore all of the variables and options to consider for your new HVAC system.
Ducted vs. Ductless
Before you start considering what kind of system or size you need, you need to evaluate whether you want a ducted or ductless system. Ducted systems have been the standard for homes throughout North America for nearly a century. They use a central air handler that draws air in and pushes it back out into your home through a system of air ducts. If you have a furnace or central heat pump, you’ll need a ducted system.
Ductless mini-split systems are for heat pumps and use smaller air handlers strategically placed around your home. They can be used with both standard air source heat pumps and geothermal systems.
Keep in mind that installing a ducted system during the construction phase is much cheaper than installing it later. Installing the ducts later may require removing drywall from walls and pulling up flooring. However, if a ductless system will work for your needs, you can save on the cost of ducts.
Furnaces vs. Heat Pumps
Along with ducted versus ductless, you’ll need an idea of what kind of heating system you want before exploring other options. The standard options include furnaces with gas, propane, oil and electric models, heat pumps and radiant heating.
Of these, furnaces tend to be the least expensive. While electric furnaces are generally less than ones that burn fuel, they are usually more expensive to operate because of how much power they consume.
Standard heat pumps, called air source heat pumps, offer incredible efficiency during moderately cold weather and don’t emit harmful gases. However, when the occasional frigid temperatures move through the area, they may lose that efficiency, and you might have to rely on a backup heating source, such as a furnace or radiant heat strips. However, you may find a suitable cold-climate model that retains its efficiency even in below-zero temperatures. Geothermal systems rely on the heat from the ground and are not adversely affected by the temperature. Underground temperatures, below the frost line, remain well above freezing.
Radiant heating uses radiant coils either beneath the floor or in your ceilings to warm the space. Of these, there are simple electric coils or ones that use a fluid, such as water, to distribute the warmth. Regardless of the type of coil, most use electricity to generate the heat. The benefit of radiant heating is that it warms the items in the room, evenly heating your space.
Getting the Right Size
Once you decide on the type of HVAC system, it’s time to determine the size. A professional HVAC technician will use an HVAC load calculation to help determine your home’s heating and cooling needs. The serviceable area is the base of the calculation, but it also considers your home’s construction, environment, number of occupants, and heat-generating equipment.
Choosing Efficiency Options
Once you know the kind of system you’re looking at and the size you need, it’s time to evaluate efficiency options. Higher efficiency systems can run at a lower capacity when the full capacity isn’t needed and will tend to run longer cycles. Aside from reduced energy consumption, this also makes your home more comfortable because it’s constantly circulating air. The trade-off is that higher-efficiency systems tend to cost more on the front end.
HVAC Zoning Options
If you want even better efficiency and more control over your home’s comfort, consider installing HVAC zoning. Zoning is a practice of separating your home’s area into smaller sections and giving each a control device to determine when that zone receives conditioned air.
Ductless mini-splits and many radiant systems naturally create zones. For central air handler systems, zoning requires installing dampers in the ducts to control where conditioned air flows during a heating or cooling cycle. Each zone can either have its own thermostat or a sensor that links with a single thermostat that regulates the temperature. An electric actuator opens and closes the damper based on the temperature in that zone.
Consider a Smart System
Consider installing a smart thermostat. Beyond giving you control from a mobile device, smart thermostats help improve your system’s operating efficiency. They have the ability to build temperature-setting programs automatically that consider your schedule, the outside weather, the occupants in your home, and your proximity to your house with some models.
Pay Attention to Ventilation
Ventilation is a crucial part of controlling your home’s indoor air quality and getting the most from your HVAC system. However, poorly designed ventilation can also be a source of significant thermal energy loss, driving up heating and cooling costs.
One solution is installing an energy recovery ventilator. This directs the exchange of inside air and fresh outside air. It has an internal heat exchanger to transfer heat between the incoming and outgoing air, preheating or precooling the fresh air as it comes in. The result is reduced HVAC load and lower heating and cooling costs.
Consider Air Quality
Air quality is essential for your home’s comfort, your family’s health, and your HVAC system’s efficiency. New construction homes often have air quality issues from leftover construction contaminants. Additionally, there’s a lot of off-gassing from the new paint, glues, flooring, and furniture.
When designing your HVAC system, consider what you can add to help improve your home’s air quality from the beginning. This may include extra filtration, including activated carbon filters to help capture gases, ionization, humidity control, and UV light purification.
Effective Planning for Proper Temperature Control
If you’re opting for a ducted system, you’ll want to consider how air will flow through the house. In many cases, ducts inadvertently get blocked or covered because of poorly placed vents in a space. To be most effective, all supply vents need at least a 6-inch clearance above and around it to allow air to circulate. Work with your HVAC planning team to discuss the placement of return vents and the clearance each will need based on their size.
Balancing Budget With Value
Finally, the budget will always play a factor in the decision-making process. Fortunately, there are a lot of incentives for opting for high-efficiency HVAC systems, in part because of the programs funded in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Depending on your situation and the system you install, these incentives may include rebates and tax credits. Additionally, consider how each option can impact your home’s value and attractiveness to future potential buyers. Be sure to work closely with your HVAC company and your real estate and tax professionals to get a full picture of value versus cost.
With award-winning HVAC installation, maintenance, and repair since 1998, property owners around Las Vegas trust Polar Air & Heating, Inc. for their new construction projects. Our team also helps homeowners find the right solutions to manage their indoor air quality. Call Polar Air & Heating, Inc. to schedule a consultation with one of our NATE-certified technicians to explore the options for your new home.
