Pros and Cons of Ductless AC and Heating
Planning to go ductless? If so, you are not alone. While there are certain pros and cons of ductless AC and heating systems, the pros are simple.
After a ductless AC installation, you can expect to save up to 40% on your home heating and cooling costs. The only caveat is that hot or cold air will no longer be circulated throughout your entire property.
What is Ductless Heating and Air Conditioning?
To understand how a ductless AC installation works, it is necessary to understand how regular HVAC systems work.
When cooling your home, a duct based AC system sucks in heat and moisture. Systems then vent heat energy outside, before passing incoming air through a refrigerator unit. Cool air is then is then circulated through your home ductwork using fans.
Heating a home works in much the same way. The only difference is that air entering a property is heated before entering your home ventilation ducts.
At their most basic, ductless AC and heating systems work much the same way. However, instead of forcing hot or cool air through ducts, air is distributed directly into rooms where systems are located.
What are the Pros and Cons of Ductless AC and Heating?
When it comes to the pros and cons of ductless AC and heating systems, there is only one main drawback.
By not using ducts to circulate air around your home, it is only possible to heat or cool specific home areas. However, this rarely impacts the actual livability of American households.
- In small to medium size condominiums, ductless AC and heating systems are more than capable of maintaining an even temperature throughout properties.
- As ductless (also called mini AC) systems are more affordable than regular HVAC systems, it is often economical to use two or more units to heat or cool a larger home.
- Placing the right ductless AC installation in the right home area, can result in even heating or cooling throughout most American households and small commercial properties.
When using ductless AC heating and cooling systems, property owners can also stand to significantly reduce annual operating and maintenance costs.
A Ductless AC Installation Reduces Energy Loss
When using traditional HVAC systems, forcing hot and cold air through ventilation ducts doesn’t just result in HVAC systems having to work harder. As well as this, up to 30% of all cooled and heated air is also lost before it enters circulation inside a property.
By comparison, when using a ductless AC and heating system, no hot or cool air is lost to property attics or crawl spaces. It is, therefore, possible to heat or cool homes faster and more evenly using less energy.
A Ductless AC Installation is Easy to Service and Maintain
Do you clean your home ductwork regularly? If not, you could be placing unnecessary pressure on any traditional HVAC unit that you are using.
If using a traditional HVAC unit, this is likely also housed somewhere around your property exterior. As a result, your unit is constantly at the mercy of the elements.
By comparison, when you use a ductless HVAC system, units are typically mounted on interior walls.
When mounted internally, it is not necessary to worry about blocked ducts, corrosion, or the building up of dirt and debris in AC system vents. More importantly, mini split air units are easily accessible. This reduces annual maintenance costs, and adds significant longevity to HVAC system lifespans.
Quick and Easy Installation
As well as being more energy efficient and maintenance friendly, a ductless AC installation can be installed in a home in under 24-hours. Ductless systems can also be installed without causing significant disruption to your home or business.
Because systems are ductless, systems only require a three inch hole to be drilled to connect systems to the outside. No ventilation ducts need to be installed, and no major upgrades are necessary. (This is even true when installing systems in period homes and older properties.)
A Ductless AC Installation Can Reduce the Carbon footprint of Your Home
Depending on the size of your home, a ductless AC installation can reduce your overall annual energy costs by between 30% and 40%.
Naturally, reducing energy costs results in lower monthly utility bills. However, reduced home energy consumption also helps lower the overall carbon footprint of your property.
Is it time for you to replace your home or business HVAC system? If so, the pros of ductless systems by far outweigh the cons. All you need to consider is what size of unit you need and where to place it.