Here’s When It Makes Sense to Install Multiple HVAC Systems in Your Stockton Home at the Same Time

Very few processes are as rewarding or frustrating as installing major equipment in your home. And equipment just doesn’t get more “major” than a furnace or air conditioner! HVAC appliances come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing they all have in common is a serious installation process that takes a certain amount of time. With that in mind, we at Bell Brothers find many of our clients prefer to go “all out” by installing HVAC equipment in batches all at once, instead of over a period of months or years. This week we’ll go over the pros and cons of this approach, as well as provide some examples and quality advice.

Installing HVAC: Cost, Disruption, and Other Drawbacks

We like to get the bad news out of the way first, so we’ll go over the drawbacks in this first section. If you’re installing more than one HVAC system, cost is an obvious drawback–multiple appliances means more money than a single appliance. Installation cost also goes up as a result. The good news is these costs don’t always stack–in fact, it may be cheaper to do them together than separate.

Another significant drawback is time. It usually takes longer to install multiple pieces of equipment than it does to do a single one. And depending on the equipment in question, it may take a lot longer–for example, if all we’re doing is a water heater it will be pretty quick compared to a water heater and furnace. That said, if the equipment is all part of the same system it can be quicker than expected. And, just as with cost, it can take less time for multiple installation than for separate installations.

Finally, we get to disruption. Installing HVAC equipment means sheetrock dust, no AC or heat, and lots of noise, which may make it impossible to stay in the home while installation is happening–at least for a day or two. The more work we’re doing, the more likely it is that the disruption will be bothersome or make it impractical to remain in the house.

Getting It Done All at Once: The BIG Benefit

Now that we have all the bad out of the way, let’s talk about the good–specifically, one installation that went great for our client and demonstrates the benefits of getting it all done at the same time.

Last August, we had a Stockton family that needed a new air conditioner. They’d gone all summer 2015 with their crummy out-of-date AC and they knew one thing was certain: no way were they going to go through 2016 with the same equipment! They had some money saved up for the replacement (this wasn’t their first uncomfortably warm summer), and they started pricing out new AC units. We’d installed a water heater for them a few years back, so they knew we did a good job on all our installs and asked us to set them up with a new air conditioner. At the time, we were running a deal–a bargain for a furnace and air conditioner! With winter on its way, and their furnace in not much better shape than the AC, they took the plunge. “Let’s do it all at once!” they said.

These clients were smart. They knew that they were getting more than a steep discount by buying both systems from us at the same time. They were also getting all the invasive installation work done at once! They checked into a motel for a few days and let our guys have the run of the place; a great call since some of their ductwork needed to be updated for the new systems. By the time they “checked back in” to their home everything was perfect!

Simply put, the reason to do multiple installations at once is the same reason people get their tires rotated and their oil changed at the same time–it makes sense to get it over with all at once! In addition, you don’t have to come up with money again down the line for another large purchase or installation–you just have to do it once. And you don’t have to deal with disruption in your home, or being unable to stay there again–just the once! Finally, if you leave the house for a few days during multiple installations, as most people do, you don’t have to schedule times for people to come in and out of the house–they can come, work all day, and go.

Is It Right for Me?

This is a hard call to make. Have you been planning on installing HVAC equipment for a long time? If so, it’s really often better to do multiple installations at once. Similarly, if you’re the kind of person that can’t imagine staying in the house while people are working in it, you’re better off getting it all over with at once!

Whether you’re eying a heat pump and a water heater, or wondering if a furnace is worth doing without doing the AC, multiple installation could bring a host of benefits to your home. And, as always, Bell Brothers is here to answer questions and help you get the information needed to make the right call.