Simply put if the house already has a forced air heating system adding a c should be relatively easy and the most inexpensive scenario.
Adding air conditioning to furnace.
Adding central air conditioning to such an old system would be problematic at best as well as hopelessly inefficient.
If they have a gas forced air furnace we can put a coil in there for the a c system then we just have to run the electric says frank garneski owner of garneski s air conditioning heating in sterling virginia.
Alternatively if the home has existing forced air heating the central a c system may be grafted onto the heating system by installing the evaporator coil in the furnace plenum and utilizing the furnace blower for air circulation or replacing it with a more suitable model.
As of publication time expect to pay from 3 000 to 3 500 at the low end and from 4 000 to 6 000 at the high end to add central air conditioning to the forced air heating system in a.
And over 2 1 2 feet high for a 12 13 or 14 s e e r.
But adding central air is easier and less costly than you might think.
Without unforeseen complications the install will take 2 3 days.
An evaporator coil must be added to the furnace.
Replace your furnace and air conditioner at the same time if it is over a certain age remember the average life.
Central air conditioning produces cold dense air.
Therefore there must be sufficient height in the basement as this coil is about 2 feet high for a 10 s e e r.
Adding central air conditioning to a forced air furnace if you are considering the addition of a central air conditioner as shown in figure 1 to your forced air furnace or if you have a central air conditioner that does not seem to keep your home cool you should investigate the positioning of your air returns.
Most homes that have a forced air heating system have ducts that can be used for ac as well.
When added to an existing forced air heating system central air for a 2 000 square foot home costs 3 500 to 4 000 and can be done by two technicians in two to three days often with little or no change to the ducting.
Figure 1 central air conditioner.
Replace your furnace and air conditioner at the same time if you buy a high efficiency air conditioner above 16.
How much does it cost to install central air.
You can utilize the existing fan and duct infrastructure for cold air by adding a few components to your existing furnace.
In the case of an upflow vertical furnace the coil will sit on top of the furnace.
So let s take a look.