Older Homes, Modern Demands: What you need to know before you renovate

Most older landed homes were designed with limited power loads in mind. While perfectly adequate back then, today’s families run more energy-hungry appliances — from centralised aircon systems to high-powered induction cookers, and now EV charging points. Adding these all together can overload the existing supply, leading to frequent tripping, safety risks, or simply making certain upgrades impossible without electrical works.

Air Conditioning Considerations

Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to cooling your home. Large multi-split or VRV systems may look attractive, but they draw significant power. In older homes, installing such systems without first checking the electrical capacity can lead to inefficiency, poor performance, or system failure. The smarter approach is to design aircon solutions that balance comfort, efficiency, and your home’s electrical reality.

The EV Factor

With Singapore’s push towards electric vehicles, many homeowners are eager to install charging points. But EV chargers require a substantial and steady power supply. For homes with older infrastructure, this can be a serious limitation. Without an upgrade, adding an EV charger on top of heavy aircon usage can strain or exceed the home’s electrical capacity.

Solutions: Planning Ahead

The good news is that there are ways to manage these limitations:

• Electrical upgrades: Engaging a licensed electrical worker (LEW) to assess and, if necessary, upgrade your home’s power supply.

  
  

• Smart load balancing: Using timers and energy management systems to stagger high-energy activities (e.g., charging EVs overnight when aircon demand is lower).

  
  

• Right-sized aircon solutions: Choosing systems designed for efficiency and your home’s real needs, rather than oversizing.

  
  

• Future-proofing: Planning both aircon and EV charging requirements together, instead of treating them as separate projects.

Older landed homes may have limitations, but with proper planning, you can enjoy modern comforts — from cool, clean air to the convenience of EV charging — without overloading your power supply. At Sin Lee Aircon, we specialise in designing air conditioning systems that work within these realities, helping families enjoy comfort, efficiency, and peace of mind.