Have you just lately bought an older house with no central heat and air system? What we accept as a requirement was considered a luxury just some time ago. Some older houses will have stand alone air conditioning devices and maybe an open fire but very few have a full modern heating and air conditioning system already installed. Unless of course it has recently changed hands and the new owners upgraded.

The good news is that it isn't that difficult to put in a new central heat and air system into an older home provided you use a professional service. The Heating and air conditioning contractor will sit down with you to talk about your needs and he will also assess the house. He will then make suggestions as to the type of system you ought to mount and where it ought to be situated.

You may want a furnace that is located in the basement or garage. Or perhaps you would prefer a heat pump. A furnace based device will heat air that is pumped through your home via a system of tubes. A heat pump will pump air via the ducts extracting heat from the outside during wintertime and inside during summer time. Heat pumps are usually the more effective system and over the longer term offer lower costs. You can add air conditioning to either type of system. In split level homes the installer will have to locate space to place the air ducts but it sounds harder than it is in practice.

Depending on your personal requirements you may want a flexible system. For example if you are younger couple and intend on having or growing your family, you will need an air conditioning system that can be easily upgraded and improved as your family grows. Given that technology is improving all the time, you will need to consult a professional contractor who will keep you updated and provide advice when and if you should be adding to or changing your central heat and air system.