Ductless heating and cooling systems are an alternative to traditional central heating and air conditioning systems. What are they? Are ductless heating and cooling systems better than the traditional central heating and air conditioning systems? Can ductless air conditioning systems save you money on your power bill? Keep reading to find out.
What are Ductless Heating and Cooling Systems?
What is a ductless air conditioning unit? Ductless air conditioning units, also known as ductless mini split systems, are smaller self-contained air conditioning units that are meant to keep a space climate controlled. I say climate controlled because there are also ductless heat pump models as well. I will also refer to these systems as ductless heat pump, ductless air conditioners and ductless mini split systems, remember that they are all the same thing. Ductless mini split systems contain an evaporator that is mounted inside that also house the fan that blows the cool air or warm air into the space that it is keeping warm or cool. There are coolant lines attached to the evaporator that run outside to the condenser.
The units typically come with a remote control so that you can choose the setting that you want from the ground. They have built in thermostats that allow you to choose the temperature that is right for you. Ductless air conditioners also allow you to choose the fan speed. So, if you are hot and you want to feel more air rushing past you, you can do that. You can also use the unit as nothing more than a fan. If, for instance, it is already cool in the house but you just want a breeze you can use the fan setting.
Additional Features of Ductless Heating and Cooling Systems
Another feature that ductless mini split systems offer is a dehumidifier setting. This is good if you live in a humid climate. It is also good to prevent the growth of mold. Also, often times just by removing the moisture from the air you will feel cooler.
With all of these features, are ductless air conditioners better than the traditional central HVAC unit? That depends. Ductless A/C units are zone heating and cooling units. This means that if you like your bedroom to be 65 degrees while you sleep at night but you do not want to pay to keep your entire house at 65 degrees then a ductless solution could be right for you. One of the biggest advantages of the ductless heat pump system is that you do not have to run duct-work. This means that if you are remodeling and you have a tiny crawl space and you are looking to add some sort of air conditioning to replace your window units a ductless heat pump could be a better option than a traditional central system.
Saving Money with Ductless Heating and Cooling
Can a ductless mini split system save you money? This is the ultimate question and if used properly the answer is yes. Ductless air conditioners are efficient and being able to control one room at a time means that you do not have to have one central unit that is sized to heat and cool your entire house. You can have individual units that run only when you need them too. One thing to remember about most A/C systems is that they basically know one speed and that is on.
There are some systems out there that are more advanced that do not use as much power when it is not needed but the majority know one speed. This means that when they are on they are using x amount of power as long as they are on. They will use x amount of power for x number of hours to keep your entire home comfortable. But if you have a room such as an office or guest bedroom that is rarely used, why heat and cool it? You can use smaller units that use less power when they are running. So if employed correctly you will use less power and save money.
If you are interested in ductless heating and cooling then check out the links below.