What’s the deal with ductless mini-splits?
It’s an air conditioning and heating solution that contains two components: an outdoor condenser and an indoor air-handling unit typically installed high or low on a wall. They cool your home in the summer and heat your home in the winter. They come in various sizes and colors, and each indoor unit has its own individual temperature control. If you don’t want heat, there is an option for cooling only as well.
How does a mini-split system work?
The refrigerant extracts heat from indoor air (by expansion) and pumps it outside. In an outdoor unit, the compressor squeezes all that heat out of the refrigerant, and this cycle repeats itself. For heating, it is just reversed. Basically, it’s a transfer of energy.
Speaking of which, how much energy do mini-splits use on average?
The minimum SEER2 (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) for Minnesota is 13 SEER2. The average ductless unit is anywhere from 19 to 26 SEER2. Each SEER2 point is about 7 percent, so ductless unites are around 40 percent more efficient than traditional HVAC systems.
How do you know if ductless AC is right for your home?
If you have a boiler or electric baseboard heat, ductless is a way to not only add air conditioning to your home but efficient heating as well. More people are realizing the room they are using as an office may be OK for the occasional guest, but now that they are working from home, it’s not comfortable. For any homeowner who has an area of their home that they do not use because it’s too hot or cold, ductless can solve that problem and they can start enjoying that space.
Tech Tip: Right-sizing your mini-split
An HVAC professional should always provide a heat loss/gain calculation for each space. This will guarantee the unit will be sized right and meet the homeowners’ expectations. Ductless units are an investment, so great care should be taken to size the units correctly and select the right equipment for the job.
In Collaboration with our partners at MSP Magazine: Ductless or Central: Decoding the Cool Factor - Mpls.St.Paul Magazine