When people look at investing in a modular home, they want to understand what comes with a modular home. In particular, if the house comes with HVAC units.
The modular home you purchase comes with some HVAC or heating and cooling system. What type of system will depend upon the type of mobile home you purchase and the type of technology and energy efficiency the modular home manufacturer uses.
Table of Contents
- What Is HVAC?
- Basic Modular Home HVAC systems
- Modular Energy Efficient Homes
- 4 Ways Modular Homes Are Green Energy Homes
- Related Question
What Is HVAC?
Understanding if your modular home has an HVAC is essential to understand what HVAC means. HVAC standards for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning.
HVAC is the system used to move warm air, cold air, and ventilation between the rooms of your modular house.
If your modular home manufacturer tells you that your home only comes with AC, then that would mean that your modular home will only be supplied with Air Conditioning and not Heat or Ventilation. For some parts of the United States, the weather may be so mild that heat is unnecessary for a modular home.
Basic Modular Home HVAC systems
For most modular homeowners, several kinds of HVAC can heat, cool, and ventilate your home. Depending on your modular home manufacture, these can also differ.
Furnace And A/C Conditioner Unit
The furnace and A/C conditioner unit send forced air through gas or electricity duct systems. In other words, this means a central air is going throughout your modular home.
Most HVAC systems have hot and cold air running through the same system. The cold or hot air is sent to you via the ducts on the modular unit.
An HVAC unit for your modular home is essential to check; you need to be sure that the unit is the right size for your home and location. A too-small unit may mean your modular unit is never heated or cool.
An oversized unit can also mean that you have high utility bills, and the unit could wear out quickly. Having an HVAC unit that is the right size is essential for your modular home.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps are another type of unit that can be used. Heat pumps are circulated and then heated or cooled by a heat transfer.
The air is then pumped through the home to either cool or heat the home. An advantage to the typical heat pump system is that the utility bills are usually lower.
Because of how heat pumps work, they are usually considered best for moderate climates.
Ductless Mini-Split System
The ductless mini-split system is less well-known than the other two systems, but this is also an efficient heat and air-con unit.
To install these, all you need is a 3-inch hole in the wall, the unit placed on the wall in the home, and the fan unit placed outside. This system works with electricity.
Living in Asia for most of my adult life, we almost exclusively used these systems to heat or cool our houses, so I know if you run them a lot, it can also run up your electrical bill unless you have an excellent energy-efficient unit.
Modular Energy Efficient Homes
Many of the newest modular homes I have seen are advertised as energy-efficient. Many of them even boast they are so energy-efficient that they can cut your utility bills in half from an on-site home.
Many modular home companies claim that they can shrink your energy consumption by up to 72% or 1/4 of what it would be for an on-site build home.
Prefab modular homes have often gotten a bad rap in the last century. Today, this is changing as many modular home companies demonstrate that they can be on top of the latest green architecture and technology.
Many modular homes use green technology such as net-zero emissions, solar panels, and rainwater systems and use recycled materials. In short, they can be highly energy efficient.
4 Ways Modular Homes Are Green Energy Homes
There are five ways many of the modular homes being built today are also considered highly efficient, energy-saving, and green homes. This is one reason why many people, myself included, are intrigued with the prospect of modular homes.
Save On Utility Bills
As modular homes are built in a manufacturing facility, this also means that the manufacturer can buy some of the green-saving energy at a lower price as they will be buying more volume than someone just purchasing for a single home.
Today, many modular homes will come with solar panels that can reduce energy from a regular grid. Homeowners can usually opt for energy batteries to store excess solar energy for future use or sell back the energy they do not use to the primary electrical grid.
Most modular homes also use low-energy light bulbs such as LED or CFL. The lighting system can also help save on the energy bill.
Modular homes are usually better installed or designed and tested to have the most energy-efficient homes.
Saves on Water and Heat
Many of the modular homes are built with water efficiency in mind. Some modular homes even have self-sufficient watering systems that are considered highly eco-friendly.
This includes some solar-based water heating systems that can reduce a household’s energy consumption for heating water. In other words, 90% of the home’s water supply is supplied via solar panels.
Many modular homes are designed to reduce heat loss by pipes or poor ventilation.
Building Waste Reduction
Control is one of the most significant benefits a modular home can offer its homeowners. Modular homes are built in factories according to specific measurements, so there’s no need for excessive material waste, which reduces the building cost.
The biggest problem when you decide to do a project for an older home is that you are not sure what other issues you will find once you start the project. Additional issues can often double or triple the original quotation or redecoration cost.
You do not have this issue with most modular homes, as everything has been prefabricated and ready to go. This helps reduce waste by 52%.
It also means the consumer can usually get a better quality home for a much lower price than an on-site home built.
In other words, modular homes are built on-site in a manufacturing facility, so there is not as much waste as renovating or constructing an on-site home.
High Sustainable Standards
An outstanding modular home manufacturer is concerned about sustainability and the sustainability standards for the home. Most of these manufacturers focus on having clean and green energy and use non-toxic and low-VOC materials.
Because of this, a modular home will be healthier for you and your family than an on-site home. Many modular homes are also made for earthquake-proof, mold-proof, or fireproof resistance.
As manufactured homes are built on-site in a manufacturing facility, many use recycled or green materials inside the home construction. Many companies are highly concerned about wasting material.
Today, many modular home manufacturing companies are on the cutting edge of green energy, high-tech, smart homes, and sustainable and healthy living.
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Related Question
Prefabricated Housing Trends
As affordable housing continues to be a massive problem in the United States and worldwide, we predict that prefabricated housing will become more critical in the years to come.
By clicking here, you can read more about Prefabricated Housing Trends
Do Modular Homes Come With Electrical And Plumbing?
When you purchase a modular home, all the electrical and plumbing should be included in the cost of the home. The modular home will need to be up to the NEC code or standards for electrical. You need to understand the quality and types of pipes and other fittings in the modular home and the manufacturer’s plumbing use.
By clicking here, you can read more about Do Modular Homes Come With Electrical And Plumbing?
