Everything You Need to Know About Home Heating & Cooling Mini Split Systems

07/19/23

Mini splits are a great choice for heating and cooling in situations when conventional HVAC isn’t ideal. These systems offer numerous benefits, including more customized temperature control, better flexibility, and energy efficiency.

Let’s take a look at what mini splits are, how they work, and what advantages they offer for your home or office.

How Do Mini Splits Work?

Mini splits are heating and cooling systems that give you control over the temperatures in individual rooms. They have two components: the outdoor compressor/condenser and the indoor air handling unit, or evaporator.

The system is simple. Air is pulled from the room by the air handling unit and sent to the condenser through copper supply lines with coolant coils. When the air in the room hits the coils, the thermal energy is transferred to them, converting the liquid inside into a gas. This is then sent to the compressor to be recycled into a liquid once again. This is then sent back to the air handler and into the room, cooling it.

Mini splits are easy to install and only require a three-inch hole through a wall for the conduit for the power and communication cables, copper tubing, and condensation drain line to link the outdoor and indoor units.

What Are the Advantages of a Mini Split?

Mini splits have a lot of benefits, especially for certain homes and offices. These include:

Energy Efficiency

Mini splits are more efficient than air conditioners because you can set different temperatures for different rooms instead of cooling the entire house or office. If you have unoccupied space that doesn’t need temperature control, you can cut off the cooling to that area.

More Versatility

Ductless systems work well in homes that are older and don’t have the ductwork to accommodate a conventional HVAC system. Also, if you’re adding new rooms or additions onto your home, ductless systems provide heating and cooling to that space without the need for more ductwork.

More Cost-Effectiveness

Mini splits are less expensive than conventional HVAC systems. They’re not only less expensive to purchase and install, but they save you on your energy bills with more efficient cooling and lower power usage.

More Scalability

When you install a conventional HVAC system in your home, you have to plan for your unit size according to your home’s features and square footage. If you then add new rooms, your system may not be enough. Ductless systems allow you to heat or cool any rooms you want – including new additions – without a lot of extra renovations for ductwork.

Convenient Features

Mini splits offer a variety of features to make them more comfortable and convenient. For example, you can get a ductless system with a remote control to adjust the temperature without getting into hard-to-reach areas. They also offer washable filters and programmable timers, among other features.

Different Operating Modes

Mini splits offer different operating modes to heat, cool, or dehumidify a room and remove the moisture without adding extra cooling. Some ductless systems have automatic functions and a fan-only option for more customization.

Improve Air Quality

Ductwork is prone to gathering dirt and debris if you’re not cleaning them regularly. Combined with the moisture that comes into the system, you could end up with mold and other contaminants that get blown back into your home with your cooled air. Without ducts, mini splits give you better overall air quality.

How Do I Know If Ductless Is Right for Me?

Mini splits have plenty of advantages, but they’re not ideal for every situation. Here’s when you should consider a ductless system:

If You Have No Pre-Existing Ductwork

Older buildings and homes may not have ductwork, so that’s an additional cost you have to include in your HVAC installation. If you have a big space, that can get pricey. Mini splits don’t require ductwork, so they’re the best choice for homes without existing ducts.

If Some Rooms Are Hard to Cool

Some rooms in your office or home may struggle to maintain a comfortable temperature. For example, rooms near the end of the ducts or rooms that don’t get a lot of air transfer from the main part of the building may be harder to heat or cool. Ductless systems are great for keeping these spaces comfortable without a lot of extra energy use.

If You’re Looking to Downsize

If you don’t use some rooms in your home or office building, why spend the money to heat or cool them? With a conventional system, cutting off the heating and cooling to these rooms is a challenge, and the lack of use could cause mold to grow in the ducts. Mini splits provide heating and cooling to only that spaces that need it, so you can save without sacrificing comfort.

If Everyone Has Different Preferences

Whether you’re in a home with a large family or an office space, not everyone will be comfortable at the same temperature. Some people require different temperatures for their health as well, such as babies and elderly people who get cold easily. Having a ductless system allows you to customize the temperatures to everyone’s ideal.

Is a mini split right for you? Contact the pros at HELP to explore your options!

Posted in: Air Conditioning