What Is A Ductless Air Conditioning System?
You’ve probably seen those small indoor cooling machines high up on the wall in Woodstock-area homes, hotels, and restaurants. But what do you really know about these high efficiency units?
Basically, ductless (also called “mini-split”) systems are a great, cost-effective alternative to inefficient window A/Cs – and, in some cases, central air conditioners, space heaters and electric baseboard heaters, too. They’re the top option for homes that don’t have existing ductwork, and a great option anywhere you need cold or warm air efficiently delivered indoors.
Ductless cooling (and heating) 101
New to ductless cooling and heating? Here are the basics:
- A ductless system includes two components – an indoor unit (the air handler) and an outdoor unit (the condenser/compressor). A single compressor can operate up to four air handlers.
- The key advantage of a mini-split system is that it doesn’t need ductwork. This means:
- It can be installed quickly and cost effectively;
- It can go just about anywhere in your house – from room additions and offices to converted attics and media / data storage rooms where climate control is needed;
- No windows are required, since the unit installs directly into the wall;
- Your air quality will improve, since there are no ducts in which harmful microorganisms can grow and thrive; and
- You won’t loose energy through leaky ducts (in a central air conditioning system, as much as 30 percent of your cool air can be lost this way).
- Another key ductless mini-split advantage is that the system is very flexible: not only can you vary the size of air handlers for each room, but you can also control the energy spent in each zone via the air handler’s thermostat.
- Unlike window A/C units, a ductless air handler won’t block your view or leave your home vulnerable to a break-in; all that mini-split system installation requires is a 3-inch hole in your wall to connect the air handler to the condenser.
- Ductless systems are extremely efficient, with some achieving SEER ratings that reach well into the 20s (most are in the 18-20 range). A window air conditioner, by contrast, usually operates in the 15- to 16-SEER range.
- Mini-split systems are much quieter than a window air conditioner, since the part that makes noise (the compressor/condenser) is outside your house (rather than inside the unit, as it is with window A/Cs).
When you add it up, a mini-split air conditioner set-up has big advantages over window air conditioners, giving you many of the benefits of central air conditioning without the need for ductwork. A ductless system can also be used to supplement your primary central air system, providing relief for your main cooling equipment as it manages hard-to-cool rooms or home additions.
Curious about a ductless installation for your residence in eastern Vermont? We can help! Contact Junction Fuels today to see if a mini-split system is right for you.
