If you're getting a new air conditioner, heater, or even an entirely new HVAC system in your decades-old house, the wiring in your home has to be sufficient for the operation of the system. While new HVAC systems are energy efficient, they can still require a lot more power to run than would be available in older homes. Adding this huge power draw to a home that has maybe a few 15-amp circuits isn't going to end well. It's possible you would need to upgrade the wiring and your circuit breakers. 

Wiring Size

First, the wires themselves may be the wrong gauge for the power that they would need to transmit to the HVAC components. The more power that needs to travel through the wires, the smaller the gauge number of the wire; for example, in a typical house outlet, a 15-amp circuit needs 14-gauge wire, but a 20-amp circuit needs 12-gauge wire. If your house is filled with 14-gauge wire but the HVAC components need more power, you're looking at short circuits everywhere and no power for the system. The wires must be the right gauge to carry all that power without interruption.

Not Enough Power

You've also got to be sure the power available – including the voltage, along with the wiring and amps – is enough for this new HVAC system. If the components need to be in 20-amp outlets specially wired to different voltages, you can't just stick the plug in a 15-amp outlet even if the plug configuration looks like it will fit there. (20- and 15-amp outlets have slightly different configurations.) You will need a separate circuit for the HVAC components, too, which means adding more switches to the breaker panel.

Old Wires, Bad Wires

And then there's the basic problem of old wires simply going bad with age. You've got to make sure that the wiring is not going to fail just because it's been around for over 50 years. You may have to have some wiring replaced even if it looks like it's the correct gauge.

A company that handles both HVAC service and electrical systems is your best bet here for getting the work done. You'll have fewer services to coordinate with, and the technicians will have an easier time working together on the project as a result. When they're done, you should have a wiring system that is adequate for the HVAC system, as well as an HVAC system that is easy to maintain and use.

Reach out to a company like Plisko Service Solutions to learn more.