You don’t need to have ductwork set into the walls and attic of your house to enjoy energy efficient cooling throughout the rooms. No, we’re not talking about using window units! In fact, if you still rely on window units for cooling because you live in an older house without a ventilation system, then ductless HVAC is something you should know about.
How a Ductless HVAC System Works
You may have already seen ductless heating and cooling systems in operation in some commercial buildings but not recognized them. If you see a unit up on a wall that sends out cooling but doesn’t project through the back of the wall, that’s part of a ductless HVAC system, a.k.a. a ductless mini split heat pump. The small blower you see on the wall is the “mini” part of ductless mini split.
A ductless HVAC system runs using multiple of these wall-mounted blowers. Each has its own fan and refrigerant coil, and they connect through a small hole behind them in the wall to a single outdoor unit. It’s similar to the conventional central air conditioner—except instead of one indoor unit and fan that sends air into ducts, there are multiple indoor units and fans that send air straight into the room. And, since the system is a type of heat pump, it can blow either warm or cool air into the rooms.
Why You May Wish to Install a Ductless Mini Split
There are some excellent reasons to consider a ductless HVAC system:
- You live in a vintage home that can’t enjoy central heating and cooling in any other way.
- You are planning to build a new house or significantly remodel your current one. Using a ductless system frees up space because you no longer have to worry about putting in ductwork.
- You want to cut down on energy use. Ductless systems have superior energy efficiency to standard systems that use ducts.
- You want to enjoy zone control throughout the house, only heating and cooling the rooms needing it. Each wall unit can operate separately from the others.
- You want to heat or cool a space that isn’t connected to the rest of the ventilation system, or which is hard to temperature control (such as a garage).
- You have an add on room and don’t want to make drastic changes to the rest of the HVAC system.
- You would like better air quality. Without ducts that collect dust all the time, ductless heating and cooling circulate far fewer contaminants.
Rely on Professional Installers
Although ductless HVAC systems are straightforward for our technicians to install and can be adapted to many homes, not all houses are suited for it. If you already have an extensive network of ducts and don’t have plans to remodel or any specific room that needs extra climate control, it’s probably best to stick to standard AC and heat pumps.
Schedule an appointment with our HVAC experts and they can help you make the best choice about how to heat and cool your home.
Wm. Henderson Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Inc. serves Delaware County & The Main Line, PA. Schedule service with us today.