How’s your HVAC system doing? Perhaps some parts of it are not in excellent condition anymore. Maybe you’ve been thinking about whether some repair or replacement is in order. Maybe you’ve got questions about what your options are, and whether some of the interesting new things you’ve been hearing about are really as good as people say.
One type of system you might want to know more about is a ductless HVAC system. These are truly an excellent choice that’s ideal for many homeowners. Is a ductless HVAC system right for you? We’ll explain what the benefits are and what situations make ductless the definite way to go.
How Ductless Systems Work
Just like with a ducted air conditioner or heat pump, there is an outdoor unit to contain the compressor. It keeps the refrigerant flowing through the coils, but where do those coils go? In a traditional central air system, they all go to a central indoor unit, which creates all the cold air for the home in one spot. It must be distributed from there, which is what the ductwork is for.
Ductless systems are also called mini splits. That’s because the refrigerant lines split when they reach the interior of the house. Each one goes to a different zone of the home, where it cools (or warms) the air for that zone in a wall-mounted air handler. Each air handler pushes the air out right there, with no need for ducts.
Ideal Situations for a Ductless System
While it’s possible to use ductless air handlers for just an air conditioner, a heat pump is even better. You can replace both an aging air conditioner and an old furnace! It’s also incredibly energy-efficient, particularly for heating, so it’s a great way to reduce your utility bills. That makes this the perfect choice if you need to replace both your heating and cooling systems, or if you’re concerned about your high utility bills.
Ductless systems are also perfect for homes that have never had ductwork, as is true of some older homes. Window units provide uneven and inconvenient cooling, and adding ductwork can be very costly and time-consuming. And if your home wasn’t designed to accommodate ducts, they can be visually intrusive or take up space you could use another way.
More common than homes with no ductwork are homes with old, deteriorating ducts, or with damaged ducts. This allows much of the heated or cooled air to escape through leaks, which is terribly inefficient.
The average American home loses 30% of its costly treated air this way. If you’re losing this much or more, your ducts are costing you a lot of money. A ductless system would be quicker and less costly to install compared to all-new ductwork throughout your home.
Finally, perhaps you’re happy with your heating and cooling system in the majority of your home, but have an area where the warmth or coolness doesn’t reach. It might be that you’ve built an addition. It might be that you’re using something as living space, such as the attic, which the old HVAC system didn’t account for. A small ductless system could perfectly address that.
If any of these situations sound familiar to you, you might be an ideal candidate for ductless HVAC installation in West Monroe, LA.
Contact Mike Smith Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC. We provide “Professional grade service.”