Is it time to replace the air conditioner you have?
Most people start thinking about a new system after a summer of small problems. The house never gets below a certain temperature on a humid afternoon. The outdoor unit trips the breaker, or the compressor hums and will not start. Someone has topped up the refrigerant twice and it has leaked out again. Or a repair has been quoted on a compressor or an outdoor coil that would cost a large share of a new unit.
None of those automatically means replacement. A failed capacitor or a dirty coil is a reasonable repair on a unit with years left in it, and we would rather fix it than sell you something you do not need. When the system is old, uses a refrigerant that is getting hard to source, or the major part has failed, a new one usually makes more sense. We lay out both options so you can weigh them yourself.
If you are replacing the furnace soon as well, it is worth planning the two together, since the indoor coil sits on top of the furnace and the pair should be matched. See furnace installation and replacement.
Can an older house with radiators have air conditioning?
Yes. Many of the houses in the Griffin Survey and the McMonnies and Stock Survey were built before the Second World War and heated with hot-water radiators, some still on a boiler today. With no ducts to blow cool air through, central air would mean opening walls and ceilings to run new ductwork. A ductless system avoids most of that.
A ductless set-up uses one outdoor unit and one or more slim indoor heads, joined by a small refrigerant line and a cable through a hole a few centimetres wide. A single head can cool an open main floor; bedrooms upstairs often get their own. We look at how the rooms connect, where the heat builds up in summer, and where a line can run neatly before suggesting how many heads you need.
If your house is a designated heritage property, check with the City of Hamilton before an outdoor unit or new line goes on the outside of the house. We can help you work out where the equipment would sit so you have something specific to ask about.
Will central air work on the ductwork in a post-war house?
Usually, but the ducts decide how well. Houses in Glenlea, Buchan Court and Renwood Park were mostly built with forced-air furnaces, and many still have the original ductwork. Those ducts were sized for heat, which moves fine at lower airflow. Cooling needs more air, and a small return or a long run to the far bedroom can leave upstairs warm while the basement is cold.
Before recommending a size, we look at the supply and return ducts, not only the square footage. Sometimes the fix is a better return in the upstairs hallway, or a smaller unit that runs longer and pulls more moisture out of the air. A bigger unit on tight ducts tends to cool fast, shut off, and leave the house clammy. If one floor has never been comfortable, a ductless head for that floor alongside central air is another option.
What changes in a newer house in Waterdown South?
Houses in Waterdown South and Waterdown Bay were generally built with central air already in place, along with a high-efficiency furnace and a heat-recovery ventilator. When the builder's air conditioner wears out, the replacement has to match the furnace's blower and the coil above it, or you lose efficiency and comfort.
The condensate drain matters here too. In these houses the AC coil and the furnace often share a drain line, and a blocked or poorly sloped line is a common cause of water on the basement floor. We check that drain as part of the installation. Keeping the HRV filters clean and the system balanced also helps the new air conditioner, since it controls how much humid outdoor air is coming in. Our maintenance visits cover both.
How is a new air conditioner installed?
Work is performed by 313A refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics. We start with a visit to measure the house, look at the ducts or the rooms that need cooling, check the electrical panel and agree where the outdoor unit will go. Placement takes some thought: a level pad, clearance for airflow, away from bedroom windows where you can, and out of the path of snow sliding off the roof.
You get a written price for the job before anything is ordered. On installation day the old unit and its refrigerant are removed properly, the new outdoor unit is set, the indoor coil or ductless heads are fitted, and the refrigerant lines are run, pressure-tested and evacuated before the system is charged. The condensate drain is connected and tested, and the electrical disconnect is wired.
Before we leave, we run the system, check temperatures and airflow, and show you the thermostat or remote and the filter. Register the equipment with the manufacturer; their warranty terms often depend on it, and keeping maintenance records helps if you ever need to make a claim.
Should you consider a heat pump instead?
A heat pump is an air conditioner that can also run in reverse to heat the house. If you are replacing central air anyway, it is worth asking whether a cold-climate heat pump paired with your gas furnace would suit you, with the furnace taking over in the coldest weeks. Ductless heat pumps can do the same for an older house with radiators. We can walk through the trade-offs; see heat pumps and our guide on whether a heat pump is worth it in an Ontario winter.