5 Ways To Get Air Conditioning When Your Older Home Doesn't Have The Ductwork

Older homes have unique characteristics that can be difficult to find in newer builds. From stained galls to old-growth wood floors, they have a lot of innate charm. What they do not have, however, is central air or air conditioning. While this may not seem like an issue most of the year, once the thermostat hits 80 or 90 degrees, it becomes an immediate need. Unfortunately, the problem is not as simple as installing a unit outside. You need the corresponding ductwork in the walls in order to run a central air system and that can be expensive. 

1. Try a window unit 

Although window units are inexpensive, they have several drawbacks. Not only are they clunky looking from the outside of your house, but they also only work with double-hung windows. If your home has sliders or jalousie windows, you will not be able to install a window air conditioning unit. 

2. Roll a portable unit over

Like window units, portable units only cool a room or two, They can also be expensive to run for any length of time. Portable air conditioning units are best used as temporary solutions. 

3. Add an attic fan

An inexpensive solution is to add an old-school attic fan. These large metal fans are installed in the attic and pull the hot, sticky air our of the house at night while pulling in the cool night air. An attic fan can cool a house down rapidly, much faster than simply opening the windows. 

4. Try a ductless mini-split

A newer solution to hit the market is the ductless mini-split. A mini-split is like a traditional AC unit with a condenser outside and a cooling unit inside. The HVAC tech only needs to drill a three-inch hole in your wall to hook everything up, however. It is also much smaller than a standard unit. A mini-split is mounted high on the wall, allowing the cool air to sink into the room, and will cool just one or two rooms. 

5. Install the necessary ductwork

If none of the above options work for your situation, you can install the necessary ductwork for a central air system. It is not impossible, just cumbersome for the HVAC professional and expensive for you. The problem is that ductwork is usually installed before the drywall when the HVAC team can just place it where they need to. Once the drywall is up, the process becomes much harder but is not impossible. 

Hot, sticky summer nights can be a thing of the past if you try one of the air conditioning options above. For additional information, reach out to a company like Brandon Heating & Air Conditioning.

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