AC Installation Services in Altoona, WI
Expert residential AC installation in West Central Wisconsin
Our team of trusted HVAC experts is ready to help you choose the best AC system for your home. We’ve been serving Altoona and its surrounding areas since 1959! You can rely on our experience to guide you in the right direction and provide options for you to choose from.
A new AC system is a big investment. The team at Hurlburt Heating AC and Plumbing believes you should have all the information you need to make the best choice.
We take care of all aspects of AC system installation. Whether you are looking for an entirely new system with ductwork for your new construction or are looking to replace an existing air conditioner, our team has your back.
Central AC installation in Altoona
Most homes in our area rely on central HVAC for heating and cooling. This system uses a furnace and air conditioner that work together to distribute hot and cold air through your home via ductwork.
While there is some energy loss associated with ductwork, a ducted home is one of the best ways to ensure even heating and cooling to all areas. In a ducted home, there are two main trunks of ductwork, a return and a supply. The supply “supplies” the hot and cold air to each room. The return duct brings old, stagnant air to the furnace when it is heated or cooled and then redistributed throughout your home.
Ducted homes tend to have better air circulation than homes without ductwork. It should be noted that central HVAC requires both a furnace and air conditioner to be installed. You cannot install the air conditioner without the furnace. The air conditioner uses the furnace fan to circulate air throughout your home. If you have another form of heat (like a wood stove or boiler), you will have to install an air handler instead of a central furnace to distribute the air through the ducts. However, with Wisconsin’s frigid winters, most homes are equipped with either electric or gas-fired furnaces. For homes with boiler heat (no ductwork), there are ductless options for AC that might be a better choice.
Heat pump installation in Altoona
Heat pumps work similarly to central AC units on cooling mode. The big difference with heat pumps is their ability to run in reverse and provide your home with heating and well as cooling. Heat pumps are a lot less costly to operate than furnaces. This is because the heat pump doesn’t need to “create” heat like a furnace does. It uses the refrigeration cycle to move heat from one area to another.
A heat pump can find ambient heat in the air outdoors and move it inside using the coolant in the system. While it might seem like this system wouldn’t work in Wisconsin, there are heat pumps specifically made for low temperatures that work just fine in our climate, even during our extreme cold snaps.
It is important to consult an experienced HVAC professional when choosing a heat pump for your Altoona home. There are numerous heat pumps on the market but only a few that are rated for our climate. The kind of heat pump that works great in areas like Florida and Arizona would not fare well in Wisconsin. They will work just fine on cooling mode but if you want to use the system for heating, you’re going to be mighty cold this winter!
Heat pumps can be used alone but if you do this, you must have an air handler installed to distribute the air throughout your home. You can also choose to pair the heat pump with a forced-air furnace if your home is already equipped with one. This is a great choice to reduce your monthly utility bills!
Ductless AC installation in Altoona
For homes and spaces without ductwork, ductless mini splits are a popular HVAC option. These eco-friendly units are the most energy efficient air conditioning system you can find on the market.
Ductless mini splits are a type of heat pump, meaning they can provide both heating and cooling on a single system.
Like a traditional air conditioner, they have an outdoor condenser and an indoor coil. However, instead of connecting to ductwork, the indoor coil is mounted to the wall. It is a type of air handler and distributes cool or warm air to the room it is located in.
With ductless mini splits, an air handler is typically installed in each room that requires heating and cooling. In living room/dining areas with open floor plans, only one air handler is needed for the space. Multiple air handlers can be connected to a single outdoor unit but each one has its own temperature control that can be set without affecting the others. This makes them perfect for zoning applications.
These units are in constant communication with each other. The system can automatically ramp itself down to adjust to the cooling load so it’s not expending unneeded energy. These AC systems have the lowest operation costs of all residential systems. They are ideal for strict temperature control of small spaces but might not be the best heating and cooling choice for a large home.
Their lack of ductwork makes them popular for homes with boiler heat (no ductwork), garage workspaces, attics, guest suites, and remodels where adding ductwork might be difficult or impossible.
How Hurlburt can help you choose the perfect AC system
We look at all aspects of your home to determine the BTU requirements and cooling load. Our team knows that each home is unique and strive to find the perfect AC solution for you. If you are considering multiple options, we will draw up quotes for each of them and discuss with you the pros, cons and any installation considerations that might pop up during the course of the job.
We can help you with financing on new systems and finding potential rebates from electric companies for our equipment, making the AC installation process as easy as possible.
