What You Need To Know Before A DIY Ducted Air Con Installation 

Installing a ducted air con in your home not only means comfort all year round, but it also means that your home’s value increases. Installing a new ducted air con in your home is better than trying to make repairs to the old one.

Factors To Consider Before Installation

The size of the house

The size of the house will tell you if the ducted aircon system is what the house needs and if it is a worthwhile investment. You also have to consider the amount of energy your home consumes without the system to understand how the consumption will be once you install it.

Consider the placement and size of your windows, the ceiling height, and the direction your house is facing. It will also help you determine the number of materials you need. 

It would help if you also considered how close your house is to the neighbors to determine the air-con system’s size. A large system produces a lot of noise, which will be inconvenient for the neighbors. It is important to determine the house to get the best output from your HVAC. In that case, 4Points AC (https://www.4pointsac.com/colton-ca/) can help you out to get the perfect output.

The usage of your house space

You should be able to account for; 

• How many people use each room every day? 
• How many hours in a day every room has people. 
• Whether the people in the rooms are active or passive. 
• How much vacant space is in every room? 

That will help you prioritize the rooms that need bigger vents and which ones don’t, instead of installing the same vents for places that need more conditioning and those that do not. The bedrooms, for example, may not need as big vents as sitting or living rooms.

What your house is made from

The material of your house will impact how well the system will work. They may also affect the installation process. It will be harder to install a vented air con system in a house that 100% brick than it would be in a house made of wood. 

Your current airflow and insulation

Consider your current insulation levels and how well you can utilize natural airflow. Ask yourself;

Are there are rooms in your home that are cool enough without the ac? Does your house have enough places for natural airflow? How did you condition your house before, and can that still be useful? 

These questions will help you determine how necessary it is to install the ducted ac, the rooms that need the ac, and the system’s size. 

Budget

With the cost of living increasing every day, you have to ensure that deciding to install a ducted ac will not compromise any of your needs. You have to consider the initial installation cost, the maintenance cost, and the energy costs the ac will add.

Diy Ducted Air Con Kits

DIY air conditioning kits are a good way for you to save money on the installation of ducted air conditioning systems. If you are a handy person, the DIY kits are perfect for you since many of the installation work you can do. 

They come with the equipment and the instructions that you need for a proper DIY installation. Depending on the type of system you want to install, there are different DIY kits you can buy. 

Ducted evaporative kit

This is the cheapest and easiest air conditioner to install because you will be done after a day or two. Some of the work you will do during the installation include:

• Installing the flashing and the dropper. 
• Mounting the evaporative cooler on your roof. 
• Cutting and installing the air conditioner vents in your home’s rooms. 
• Taping and running all the flexible ducts to the y pieces in your home. 
• Installing air conditioning vents in the roof space. 

You will then need an electrician to finish the electrical work as the voltage (240 v) is high, and a plumber to connect a water supply. 

Reverse cycle DIY kits

When purchasing this type of DIY kit, there are various factors that you need to consider, and that may affect its price. 

• The brand is producing the kit. 
• The size of your house. 
• The zone control system type used, whether LED or LCD and Wi-Fi. 

This DIY kit is a little harder to install than the evaporating kit, and some of the work may need two people. You could also get a mechanical lifter to make the installation easier. You can get the lifter from a hire shop, or it may come as a package from the shop where you purchased the kit. 

Some of the work you will do when installing this system include;

• Mounting and installing the fan coil unit into the roof space. 
• Connecting the return and supply plenum with the fan coil on the inside. 
• Cutting and installing the motorized dampers with flexible ducts. 
• Installing plastic vents in all the rooms. 
• Taping and running all the flexible ducts to the y pieces in the roof space. 
• Connecting the flexible ducts to the installed vents. 

You will need to hire an electrician to finish connections and connect the cables between your outdoor and indoor units. You will also need a refrigeration expert to run a copper pipe for the completion of your AC system. 

Disadvantages Of DIY Ducted Air Con Installation

In as much as the DIY installation will save you up to $100 depending on the size and type of the system, there are some disadvantages that you can face.

It could nullify your warranty. 

The majority of air-con manufacturers need that professionals install the AC units to ensure the installation is done safely, correctly, and to the highest standards. By installing the unit yourself, you may install it wrongly, causing it to malfunction or have poor performance in the future. This could lead to costly repairs in the long run, as repairing your AC due to improper installation can be more complex and expensive than getting it installed correctly in the first place.

When that happens, the manufacturers or suppliers cannot replace your AC unit or give you any future support.

You may damage your walls. 

The installation process involves installing a fan coil in your roof space. There also needs to duct running from the AC unit into the rooms. The process can be complicated and may end up you ruining some parts of your walls and ceilings.

There will be safety risks. 

You need a lot of technical knowledge to understand all the AC system parts and how they work. During a DIY installation, you may mishandle some parts that may lead to some risks like electric fires in the future.