Unfortunately, most homeowners and designers don’t include HVAC designs in their initial interior design plans during construction. Heating and cooling systems usually become an afterthought, often arising after the building has already been constructed. Making changes to accommodate HVAC system components becomes challenging, significantly impairing the buildings’ interior design. Making HVAC considerations and consulting HVAC experts from Thomas & Galbraith Heating early during the construction phase is beneficial in the following ways:
1. Simplifies Decision Making
Including HVAC design during construction helps homeowners and building contractors make better decisions that would otherwise be challenging if delayed. You will solve several future issues, such as identifying the best place to install HVAC components, choosing the best type, and how much you should spend.
Early considerations allow homeowners to rethink how their space will be heated and cooled. Unknown to most people, construction materials and structural changes to interior designs, especially during renovations, affect the buildings’ heating and cooling needs.
While you can easily purchase a new heating and cooling system, you should ensure that the unit is right for the space. The HVAC design process is important in ensuring that you install a system that meets the heating and cooling needs of the space.
2. Choosing the Correct System Size
Including HVAC design in your interior design plans also ensures that you pick the right system size. Interestingly, most HVAC units are not appropriately sized for the space. Whether you are undertaking new construction or renovating a room, HVAC design is important to ensure that you choose the correct system size.
Most people initially thought that bigger systems are better, especially if the space demands increased over time. Unfortunately, the increasing energy efficiency of modern buildings and new HVAC technologies make large AC units irrelevant.
Installing an oversized air conditioner is a pure waste of energy. They also run inefficiently, causing inconsistent indoor temperatures and humidity. Under-sized units also strain and run for long hours to achieve the required temperatures. This causes frequent breakdowns and shortens HVAC longevity.
3. Designing an Effective Distribution System
Even with the right size and type of HVAC unit, heating and cooling needs won’t be met without properly designing the distribution system. HVAC design is handy in ensuring that building contractors and renovators design an effective distribution system that makes the indoor environment uniformly comfortable.
This is especially important in commercial buildings where some rooms require heating while others require cooling. In large commercial buildings, the rooms close to the perimeter enjoy warm outside light and air, while interior portions are cold. An effective distribution system is required to maintain comfortable room temperatures, regardless of the location.
4. Convenience Benefits
HVAC design also provides convenience benefits. Though often used in commercial buildings, you should apply the MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) principle to your construction. Essentially, this means aligning the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing lines to ensure they don’t interfere with HVAC ducts.
Endnote
HVAC design is important for the reasons mentioned above. It also ensures that you hide unsightly-looking units, like window ACs. You can hide your HVAC installations using interior color selections or simple constructions, such as shelves.
