Important Things To Know Before Having Central AC Installed For The First Time

If you've been making do with only a window air conditioner or fans for many years, having central air conditioning installed can be a dream come true. It's amazing to be able to adjust the temperature on your thermostat and feel your home cool off within an hour or two. For the most part, your HVAC contractor will do the hard part of actually putting your new AC in place and making sure everything works as intended. But there are still a few things you should know as your appointment for central AC installation approaches.

Your air conditioner will use the same fans and ducts as your furnace.

Sometimes people think that if they get air conditioning, their HVAC installer will have to run a second system of ducts to carry the cold air. After all, plumbing systems have separate pipes for hot and cold water. But actually, your AC system should use the same ducts that your furnace uses. It will also use the same central fan that your furnace uses. This setup works well since there will never be a scenario when you need to both heat and cool your home at the same time.

You'll need to choose a location for the outdoor condenser.

Central air conditioners have two main components. One goes outside and the other goes inside. Start thinking about where you want your outdoor compressor to be located. It will need to sit on level ground, and it can't have too many trees or shrubs around it. The AC needs good airflow. Try to have a couple of possible locations picked out when your installer arrives. They can let you know which one will allow your air conditioner to work best.

You may need some small changes to your ductwork.

While you won't need all new ducts run, your AC contractor may need to extend the main duct to connect to the air conditioner. Or, they may recommend adding a duct or two to bring additional cold air to certain parts of your home. None of this work should take very long or require major changes to your home, but it can add to the cost of the installation, so it is something to be prepared for.

With this information in your back pocket, you should be more prepared than ever to have central AC installed. Before long, you'll be relaxing in your cool home.

For more info about AC installation, contact a local company.