5 HVAC Considerations to Make When Buying a Home

When house hunting, prospective homeowners often neglect to consider a crucial factor – the house’s HVAC system. But the system that provides heating and cooling for a home has substantial bearing on the future cost of living in that home, as well as the comfort level of you and other occupants.

When buying a house, you’re also buying an HVAC system. Consider these five factors:

The type of HVAC system in the home

Is it adequate for your needs? Obviously, a central cooling and heating system is preferable to window units and other portable HVAC appliances. The system also should be properly sized for the house. Have a professional HVAC technician inspect the system to make sure it’s not under- or oversized.

Location of the indoor and outdoor units

There should be plenty of space around the inside unit to allow for maintenance and repairs. Its room should be well ventilated. The outside unit should be located where it won’t tempt thieves, in a shady area for more efficient operation.

The fuel source

This is a greater factor in northern climates where gas or oil heating is common. But it’s still important to consider how you intend to heat your home in the winter, and whether there’s a readily available source of fuel if you’re not using an electric heat pump.

Age and condition

When buying a house, you want to avoid a situation where you’re inheriting an HVAC system that’s on its last legs. An HVAC technician can tell you how much service life is left in the home’s heating and cooling system, and whether it’s prone to breakdowns. The previous owner should provide a maintenance and repair log for the system.

Energy efficiency

All else being the same, choose a house with a newer, high-efficiency HVAC system. Modern heating and cooling systems, by and large, are more energy efficient than older systems. Better energy efficiency means lower energy bills.

Contact us at NisAir Air Conditioning and Heating if you’d like some helpful advice when buying a house in Martin, Palm Beach or Indian River counties.