Revised:
July 20th, 2022
Have you been considering moving your air conditioner to another side of the house? Or maybe you’ve been wanting to make more room in your basement and want to relocate your furnace? Is it even possible? And how much would it cost? Stay tuned to find out.
Hello, my name is Bryan with Fire & Ice. Over the years, we’ve installed thousands of air conditioners, heat pumps, and furnaces across Central Ohio. When installing HVAC equipment, we take every precaution to ensure the system will run as long as possible and be aesthetically pleasing. But what if you’re not ready to invest in a new HVAC system. Is it possible to relocate existing equipment? The simple answer is it all depends. In this video, we’ll go over the top reasons you’d want to move an HVAC system, review some of the considerations that need to be made, and the cost.
Top Reasons to Consider Relocating Your Outdoor HVAC System
Let’s get started and review some of the reasons why you’d want to relocate an air conditioner or heat pump. First up is noise. Suppose the outdoor unit is located near a window or near a patio, or next to a deck. It’s easy to see how it can become a nuisance.
Another reason is it's simply in the way. Whether you’re looking to free up more space on the back patio, you want to do new landscaping, or you’re looking to construct an addition to your home. All are good reasons to consider relocating your existing outdoor equipment.
A third reason is curb appeal. We often see air conditioners on the side of a house, and we get a lot of requests to relocate the outdoor unit from the side yard to the back for aesthetic reasons.
The final reason is an often overlooked one. Central Ohio is a hot bead for outdoor pollen and airborne debris such as cottonwood, those whirly seeds from maple trees, grass clippings, and so on. These are prone to get caught and clog air conditioners and heat pumps, making them fail. So relocating your outdoor equipment is a popular solution when removing a tree is out of the question.
How easy is it to move my air conditioner?
In a nutshell, moving an existing air conditioner is exactly like installing a new one. The only difference is you’re not paying for new equipment, but you will need to pay for about a half day’s labor. A lot of the cost will be determined by just how far you want the system moved. If you’re planning to move it just a few feet you’ll probably get by with the existing refrigerant line. But if you want to move it around the corner or to the opposite end of the house. Then a new line set is going to need to be run.
Another thing to consider is electrical needs. A perfect scenario will be moving the system closer to the electrical panel, but that’s rarely the case. When you’re moving farther away, you’ll likely need a junction box that will involve an electrician.
And it should be noted that if you have a finished basement, drywall and the ceiling may need to be removed to run the line set and electrical wiring from the furnace to the outdoor unit. All things to consider when relocating your outdoor equipment.
How much does it cost to move an air conditioner/heat pump?
So how much does it cost to move an air conditioner or heat pump? Well, that all depends on the factors we just discussed. If you plan on moving it just a few feet for ballpark purposes, expect to pay $1,500 or more. Naturally, the price will be more the further the unit is moved away.
Top Reasons to Consider Moving Your Indoor HVAC System
Now let’s shift gears to the indoor unit. Furnaces and air handlers can be located in several places as long as the space is conditioned, such as basements, closets, attics, crawl spaces, and even garages. Deciding to relocate the indoor unit could be to free up space in the area, for aesthetic reasons to hide the unit better, to add a room to your home or finish a space, or when you upgrade the unit that won’t fit in the current space.
How easy is it to move my furnace or air handler?
While you might want to relocate your furnace, it’s not always the best option. Why? Well, it’s more complicated than moving an air conditioner. Let me explain. Let’s imagine a hypothetical scenario and say you’re finishing the basement or putting in a bathroom that requires you to move your furnace. To make that happen, you will need to reconfigure electric wiring, the gas line, if applicable, make adjustments to both the supply and return ductwork, and additional plumbing to exhaust the waste gasses and for the condensation to drain.
Another thing to keep in mind is furnaces are generally centrally located to distribute the air evenly. So, moving the furnace further away from the center can upset the balance of the entire HVAC system and could invite new comfort concerns like uneven temperatures and hot and cold spots that didn’t exist previously. And moving the furnace further away may require an additional line set to be run.
How much does it cost to move a furnace or air handler?
But let’s say you still want to move forward with relocating your furnace or air handler. To move the furnace, just a few feet can cost as much as $3,000. And full transparency, it’s going to be a big job. It’s just like installing a whole new system, and it’ll likely be a full day's work, possibly two. And if the system is being moved further, the cost will increase.
And keep in mind that most HVAC equipment can last between 10 and 20 years. And considering new equipment with installation costs between $3,000 and $15,000, is it worth relocating if your existing system is nearing the end of its life expectancy?
Here at Fire & Ice, our goal is to inform our customers so they can make the best decision that’s right for them. If you’re considering relocating your system or would like to discuss your options feel free to schedule an estimate by clicking the free estimate button at the top of the screen. Thank you for watching, and we look forward to improving your day.
