Having a central air unit in your home can feel luxurious. If you come inside on a hot summer day when you’re sweating and turn on the air, you can soon bask on your couch and feel positively decadent. You’ll wonder why you never got central air before.
Of course, if you don’t have central air, you might spend some time considering how much it costs. You can’t very well install central air if you live in an apartment, but as a homeowner, you always have that option. You can modify your house any way you’d like, assuming you don’t have an HOA that might object when you make significant changes.
You might run into hidden costs while installing central air in your home, though. Let’s talk about those before you proceed any further.
New Ductwork
When you look at a new central air conditioner, you might see the unit’s price. It may seem high, but you feel like it’s worth it. You should realize, though, that you’ll pay more than just the price you see.
You may need new ductwork, for instance. You might have some ductwork inside your walls, but maybe it’s deficient in some areas.
New in-home ductwork can cost $1,000-$15,000. If you’re paying toward the low end of that, it may not seem so bad, but $15K isn’t exactly peanuts. If you must pay that, and you must also pay for the central air unit, you could have expenditures reaching $20K-$25K right there.
You’ll likely have some existing ductwork, but when someone from an HVAC company looks it over, they may tell you that you need some upgrades or the new central air unit won’t cool your home evenly. If so, you must add on that extra cost.
Ductwork Repairs
Maybe you already have all the ductwork you need, but it’s not in great condition. You may notice some areas where prior homeowners patched it with duct tape or through similar means.
You might also see holes that you haven’t patched yet. You can patch the ductwork, but that’s not the best long-term solution.
Ductwork repairs may cost a few thousand dollars in some instances. That might seem high, but maybe you bought a HUD property or one that sat empty for several years. If so, then you may have animals nesting in it.
You might hire an HVAC company to clean the ductwork thoroughly as well as repair it. Add those costs to that of the new central air unit as well.
A New Thermostat
Your new central air unit may require an upgraded thermostat. You can get a simple, basic one, but maybe you want a fancier one.
You can get thermostats these days that connect to your smartphone or tablet. You can adjust these smart thermostats with your phone when you’re at work. You can turn down the cool air and then turn it back up when you’re heading home in the evening.
You can also set up programs with the central air unit that it can run throughout the day. With a few button pushes, you can create a program where the unit runs the fan during the day, so you get some air circulation. Then, you can set it so that the cool air starts when you return home.
These smart thermostats cost more. You might feel they’re a good investment, though, since you can mention you have one if you ever sell the house later on.
Hiring an HVAC Company
You must also pay the HVAC company. They will install the new central air unit, but they might also install your upgraded thermostat. They might repair your ductwork or install some new ductwork in a part of the house that lacks it.
You can shop around and see which HVAC company has the best prices. However, you shouldn’t just get the cheapest one every time. You should also see which one has the most positive reviews. Paying a little more might seem worth it if you get a higher-quality experience.
You should price the new central air unit and all the other costs surrounding it and see the total price tag. Think about whether you can afford it.
If you feel like you can’t do it right now, you might wait a while. You can save money and install the new unit a year or two later. In the meantime, you might use fans and install window units instead.
Read More:
Understanding your home’s HVAC system
