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Traditional central air conditioning is not always the best fit for every home. If you have an older home, installing whole-home air conditioning may not be possible due to lack of space for ductwork. Fortunately, there’s a popular, flexible solution: ductless heating and cooling units, known as ductless mini splits.
Whether you’re replacing an HVAC system in your home or creating a design for a new property and installing HVAC ducting our knowledgeable associates can help you decide what HVAC equipment is best for your individual needs.
Talk to our team about whether a ductless mini split or heat pump system is the right fit for your home.
Mini splits don’t need full-sized air ducts to work. A conventional central A/C system generates cold air at a single point and distributes it via large ducts throughout the home. A ductless mini split system, on the other hand, uses an individual fan and evaporator unit for each room.
Having mini split units in each air-conditioned room allows you to better control the temperature of each room in your home. Rooms that aren’t being used regularly can be turned off to save energy. Rooms that get pretty warm can have the temperature adjusted to be more comfortable. The room-by-room control that ductless mini splits allow for lowers energy costs better than a whole-home air conditioning system. Also available are dual-zone mini splits as well as tri-zone mini splits.
These units are also quieter, more energy efficient and more adaptable than traditional systems. Ductless A/C installation is also easier and cheaper with DIY mini splits.
If you need heating as well as cooling, you can purchase a ductless mini split heat pump. A heat pump is a great way to supplement heat in home additions or areas that are difficult to warm, such as rooms over garages, porches or basements. There are also mini split units with timers if you want it to turn on and off at specific times. Reference our handy Air Conditioner Buying Guide when it’s time to consider your air conditioning options.
Ductless, mini-split-system heat pumps (mini splits) make good retrofit add-ons to houses with “non-ducted” heating systems, such as hydronic (hot water heat), radiant panels, and space heaters (wood, kerosene, propane). They can also be a good choice for room additions where extending or installing distribution ductwork is not feasible, and very efficient new homes that require only a small space conditioning system. Be sure to choose an ENERGY STAR® compliant unit and hire an installer familiar with the product and its installation.
Like standard air-source heat pumps, mini splits have two main components — an outdoor compressor/condenser and an indoor air-handling unit. A conduit, which houses the power cable, refrigerant tubing, suction tubing, and a condensate drain, links the outdoor and indoor units.
The main advantages of mini splits are their small size and flexibility for zoning or heating and cooling individual rooms.
Many models can have as many as four indoor air-handling units connected to one outdoor unit, each with its own thermostat, so you only need to condition occupied spaces. This will save energy and money.
The hook-up between the outdoor and indoor units generally requires only a three-inch hole through a wall for the conduit, and the outdoor unit can be located as far away as 50 feet from the indoor evaporator.
Mini splits have no ducts, so they avoid the energy losses associated with the ductwork of central forced air systems, which can account for more than 30% of energy consumption for space conditioning.
Indoor air handlers can be suspended from a ceiling, mounted flush into a drop ceiling, hung on a wall, or floor-standing — most are about seven inches deep with sleek, high tech-looking jackets.
Split systems can help keep your home safer, because there is only a small hole in the wall — unlike through-the-wall and window-mounted room air conditioners, which can provide easy access for intruders.
Many indoor units offer a remote control, making it easier to turn the system on and off when it’s positioned high on a wall or suspended from a ceiling.
The cost of installing mini splits can be higher than some systems, although lower operating costs and rebates or other financial incentives — offered in some areas — can help offset the initial expense.
The installer must correctly size each indoor unit and determine the best location for its installation. Oversized or incorrectly located air handlers can result in short cycling, which wastes energy and does not provide proper temperature or humidity control. Too large a system is more expensive to buy and operate.
Some people may not like the appearance of the indoor part of the system. While less obtrusive than a window room air conditioner, these units don’t have the built-in look of a central system. There must also be a place to drain condensate water near the outdoor unit.
Qualified installers and service people for mini splits may not be easy to find. Check with local heating and cooling contractors to find out how common these systems are in your area and who has experience installing and servicing them.
Our licensed, insured technicians are committed to quality workmanship, dependable service, and customer satisfaction on every project.
