About five years ago, my husband and I purchased a home in Largo, Florida.
- The house was built during the mid 1800’s and retains much of its historical charm.
We are delighted by the big windows, high ceilings and hardwood floors, doors and moldings. The house features a gorgeous stairway and banister as well as a huge front porch. Our only concern with the property was air conditioning. Because of the age of the house, centralized ductwork was never installed. The previous owners got by with a collection of window air conditioners, box fans and overhead fans. We weren’t happy with this arrangement. The window AC units blocked our view from the windows and destroyed the curb appeal of the home. There are also security risks associated with open windows. We wanted whole-home cooling but were unwilling to tear down the original plaster walls to implement ductwork. I did some research and came across high-velocity air conditioning. This type of system utilizes mini-ducts that are only two inches in diameter. The ducts are slender flexible tubes that can be routed through existing walls without damage. They bend to accommodate studs, plumbing pipes and electrical outlets. The mini-ducts attach to circular-shaped vents that are only six inches wide and allow flexibility of location. The actual cooling unit is small enough to install into a closet or the attic. By delivering cooled air at an especially high rate of speed, the indoor air temperature is lowered very quickly. Shorter run times plus smaller and insulated ductwork helps to minimize running costs. The local HVAC company handled the new air conditioner installation very quickly and professionally. It is such a relief to have a single thermostat to control temperature throughout the entire home.