Just a little info about high velocity and ac systems in general. High velocity systems are very expensive, some consider them quite noisy. Servicewise you are usually locked into using one company as most service providers do not stock hvac parts, also these units are not numerous enough for generic makers to supply parts, many times this can cause a long wait for a repair. I suggest you get estimates on having both type systems installed. As the last post by homeowner plus states, a good installer is a must. Check and find how many companies in your area service the hv brand you select, I.ll be surprised if you find more than 1. Next any ac unit consists of a great mant electrical and mechanical parts, and despite any advertising hype to the contrary, all will need service at one time or another. On any type selected get the warranty terms spelled out in writing, do they include trip and labor fees? Most ac makers provide a least a 5 year parts warranty, some longer. Labor is a different matter, maany consumers get a nast finiancial shock when they are hit with a hefty labor and trip fee bill for replacement of a warranty covered part. Remember for aby unit no matter than brand or type, it must be properly sized and installed to provide good and efficient service. Check out any one you select as thoroughly as possible, get names of a few previous customers find their level of satisfaction. Don,t be influenced by big yellow page ads. Some companies using this venue are ok, others are hacks. Try to select someone that has been around a reasonable amount of time. Good luck Iggie

We have a 1916 house and have inset cabinets (some recycled from the 1920s or 1930s and some we had custom made to match twenty years ago). And, of course we have radiators so we don't have central air. In the summer we do put in window air conditioners but perhaps run the air conditioners a total of two weeks out of the summer. The rest of the time the windows are open. We have never had any problem with our cabinets. I also had some matching ones made for a bathroom, and that hasn't been a problem either. I think the secret is to get a really good carpenter who know what he is doing because these are more difficult to make than the full overlay. By the way if you do get the inset and want then to really be period appropriate, make sure to get the visible hinges. Perhaps you live in an area of the country where the humidity is really a huge problem for much of the year, so maybe advice is different for your area.

I know nothing about why your home is not set up for central air. I can speak knowledgeably about split a/c units. We installed them when we lived in Thailand. They are remarkable, in that they usually feature a dehumidify setting, to get the moisture out without making it too cold, as well as a cooling setting. If they worked at 17 degrees from the equator during monsoon season and hot dry season they ought to work well in Washington state. We went with small units in each bedroom, so that we were only cooling the area we were in, and one larger 20kbtu unit for the entire downstairs.

Ok, your electric rate is quite high. Given the age of your air conditioner it could be 6 SEER. Which is quite the relic. Minimum efficiency for the northern climates is 13 SEER which would more than double the likely efficiency of your current AC system. But realize if you go with 13 SEER in an Air Conditioner this is bottom rung and brand would mean nothing. (13 SEER is only allowable in the north, in my climate 14 SEER is lowest efficiency allowable by law today.) SEER ratings for AC go as high as 24.5 SEER today. For your climate you may want to consider 16 SEER. However, the 2 speed variety is typically better made and 2 speed AC's start at 16 SEER efficiency --- so this would be considered mid level. All things equal installation is the most important and due to your climate you may want to focus more on heating than AC. Brand really doesn't mean much, in my opinion. I see regular failures of 3 years old or less equipment of every brand. No brand is immune to failure. It is probably in your best interest to go to 95% or greater efficiency in a gas furnace. It would also be a good idea to find a insulation company that specializes in reinsulating the walls of older homes. If you plan to live in this home for any real length of time this would be money well spent. Window replacement is probably not a bad idea either, but replacing windows without tackling the insulation issues would be pointless in my opinion. Another thing about brands is that it's best to choose brands that have good support, great warranty coverage in the area or location of where you live. Every brand breaks, so you will at some point in time, depend on your installing contractor as well as the distributor of the brand you choose. If you don't have easy access to parts, it could spell long wait times to put your system back on line.