HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning. An HVAC system is equipment used to regulate indoor temperature, humidity, and air quality. This guide will show you the cost of hvac system and what it comprises of.
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Parts of an HVAC System
Home HVAC systems include interior climate control installations, baseboard heaters, and ceiling fans. However, this buying guide will focus on the central HVAC system components, and they have the following;
Furnace: Here, the heat in an HVAC system is typically supplied by natural gas or oil-fired furnace housed inside a designated closet place, basement, or attic. It’s often contained within the furnace unit and responsible for the actual warming of the air.
Air Conditioner: Unlike the furnace, this is placed outside the home and powered by electricity. It uses a compressor and coolant to take out the heat from the air, and the hot air is taken outside.
Ductwork: It’s always called Ventilation ductwork and is responsible for moving heated and cooled air evenly throughout the home’s interior.
Thermostat: This is the “brain” of an HVAC system and is responsible for turning it on and off. It can be operated manually or set to a predetermined temperature that the system can maintain.
Cost of a New HVAC System by Unit
HVAC systems vary in many ways, as the square footage you have in your home, the bigger the unit you need. If you’ve added square footage to the house or finished the garage, you’ll need some air flowing to those areas. As we focus on the cost of hvac system, let’s see their components first.
Cost of a Furnace
The furnace is the part of the HVAC system responsible for keeping you nice and cozy on those cold nights. Furnaces use British Thermal Units (BTUs) to show how powerful the system is, and yes, you still use BTUs even when you’re in America.
Common furnace sizes and their prices are:
● 40,000–60,000 BTUs: $3,250
● 75,000–100,000 BTUs: $4,200
● 120,000–140,000 BTUs: $6,000
Cost of an AC Unit
The cost depends on the size unit for your home. An AC unit comes in tons, and some people can have a two-ton unit, while others may even have as large as a five-ton unit. Too big or too small, you will risk losing energy effectiveness as you cut the lifespan down considerably.
Common AC unit sizes and their prices:
● 2-ton: $2,250
● 3-ton: $3,000
● 4-ton: $4,250
● 5-ton: $5,500
Note: These prices are for AC units only. Ductwork and labor are billed separately.
Cost of a new HVAC system near you
Generally, rural prices are likely to be much lower than urban. However, staying in a hotter state doesn’t necessarily mean you will spend more on your new HVAC system. For example, despite being known as the sunshine state, Florida tends to cost less than installing a new air conditioner in New Jersey.
Some average cost of hvac system prices for a 3.0-ton in a few parts of the country are:
● Florida: $8,300
● Arizona: $10,400
● Washington: $11,600
● Montana: $8,300
● Iowa: $10,700
● Ohio: $9,900
● New Jersey: $12,200
● New Hampshire: $11,300
Factors Influencing the Cost of a New HVAC System
Besides location and the size of the unit, you need to consider other factors, such as whether your HVAC system requires new ductwork, new insulation, and how challenging it is to install. Similarly, there are plenty of different brands to choose from.
New Ductwork
A complete HVAC replacement includes replacing the ductwork in the entire home. The ductwork’s responsibility is to carry cool air to the vents so you can create your winter enjoyable. Depending on how much ductwork is required, ductwork’s cost is about $15 per linear foot.
Installing an HVAC for the first time on a multi-story house requires the vertical ducts to be encased or hidden, which involves a lot of work like framing, sheetrock, and finishing.
Your contractor can help you with ways to do this, such as installing a corner bookshelf with the vertical ductwork behind it,” says Bob Tschudi, Expert Review Board Member, and general contractor.
Having a home addition like a finished garage or enclosed patio will require you to add vents and ductwork to these areas.
Labor
Installing an HVAC, removing and replacing ductwork, and ensuring everything works fine is not easy. Labor for this project may cost around $1,500 on average. You’re likely to pay more if you’ve never had an existing HVAC system.
Insulation
When installing an HVAC unit for the first time, you also need to add insulation. Insulation costs $1,500 on average, but only if your house doesn’t have any existing insulation. Most HVAC contractors leave out insulation, but you can contact your local HVAC Company to find out more.
Brand
Fortunately, there’s a lot of competition in the HVAC world. More competition equals more competitive rates. But regardless of brand, the average cost of an HVAC system is around $4,750.
Below are prices of average cost of hvac system from the most popular brands;
● Amana/Goodman: $2,750
● American Standard: $3,750
● Bryant: $3,000
● Carrier: $4,250
● Coleman: $3,000
● Lennox: $3,500
● Magic Pak: $4,750
● Mitsubishi: $4,500
● Trane: $6,000
● Rheem/Ruud: $3,250
● York: $7,500
Position of the unit outside the home
The unit outside the house is typically one-half of your AC unit. This unit cools the air inside your home and takes it back in through a compressor.
Most people put theirs outside AC units behind the home. But, this isn’t always the case. Those limited on space, such as a multi-family home or townhome, may need to mount theirs to the roof. If you need a roof-mounted AC unit, you may pay around $1,000 more, as the AC contractor needs a spot that supports the system’s weight.
In some states, you will be requested to hide the rooftop unit with a decorative fence. This involves securing under the roofing materials; getting a qualified roofer involved is essential.
Conclusion
Estimating the cost of heating and cooling systems is difficult due to many factors that come into play. There is not only the size of the home to consider, but the size, quality, and energy efficiency of the equipment to be installed and upgrades such as multiple thermostats, programmable thermostats, and electronic air cleaners.
Further, it is crucial to remember that most HVAC system costs come not from the equipment itself but from installation charges.
Thus, if your home presents installation challenges (i.e., an unusual layout or challenging access areas), you can expect to pay more than a homeowner who buys a comparable system but whose home doesn’t pose such problems.
