Install a Ductless Mini-Split HVAC System for Flexibility

Ductless, mini-split heating, cooling, and ventilation (HVAC) systems are s great solution for a variety of home heating problems. The flexibility of mini-split systems makes them ideal for many types of rooms and settings. Learn some of the ways that mini-split systems offer more flexibility than other HVAC systems.

Mini-Splits Work Well With Other Heating

To connect the indoor evaporator unit of a mini-split system to its exterior compressor/condenser unit, your HVAC professional only needs to open a three-inch space into the room’s wall.
Conduit containing the power cable, HVAC tubing, and drainage tubing is snaked through the hole. This means that your HVAC retrofit doesn’t cause complete upheaval.

Ductless mini-split systems work well as auxiliary heating sources in homes that rely on the following non-ducted heat sources:

• Hydronic (hot water) systems
  
• Radiant panels
  
• Wood, kerosene, or propane space heaters
  

Homes that rely on electric heating and cooling also benefit from the auxiliary heat provided by a mini-split system. If you have inadequate baseboard heating or an inefficient furnace, a ductless mini-split system adds energy-efficient comfort.

You can add a mini-split HVAC system to the colder rooms in your home without adding additional ductwork or tying the new equipment into your existing HVAC equipment. You won’t have to renovate your entire furnace to upgrade the comfort in your home. Rooms can often be retrofitted with ductless mini-split systems in a day.

Mini-Splits Work in Added Spaces

A mini-split system is a great solution for a room add-on or renovation. If you’ve recently finished a basement, bonus room, or workshop, you don’t have to tie your new mini-split system into your existing HVAC system to heat and cool your new living and working space.

Consider a ductless mini-split system for the following rooms:

• Barn office
  
• Foaling or calving barn
  
• Large playhouse
  

The mini-split system includes its own thermostat and outdoor compressor/condenser unit to heat and cool your home. You won’t tax your existing HVAC unit with additional ductwork. In addition, you can turn the heating or cooling off when not using the add-on space without affecting the rest of your home’s comfort.

Mini-Splits Allow for Awkward Arrangements

The compressor/condenser unit of a ductless mini-split system can be located up to 50 feet from the room being heated and cooled by the system. Whether you have a cottage office in the backyard or an attic room in an awkward location, you can have a ductless mini-split system installed in the space without extraordinary effort.

Along with flexibility of installation, ductless mini-split systems offer excellent energy efficiency when conditioning spaces. In a ductless mini-split system, the compressor is inverter-driven instead of working at a constant speed. Because the compressor operates at a lower frequency

most of the time, the system uses less power.

Additionally, ductless mini-split systems do not contain any vents or extended runs of ductwork which increase heat loss. You can add a mini-split system to a room where conventional ductwork would be exposed to harsh temperatures, including a room next to an uninsulated
attic. These systems can also heat spaces, including free-standing animal enclosures, without the use of ducts.

Due to their energy-efficient designs, ductless mini-split systems can shave
40 percent

from your yearly HVAC power consumption. If you trade out an inefficient HVAC system for a ductless mini-split system, the installation and HVAC equipment will pay for itself over time.

Mini-Splits Offer Custom Comfort

Because each space in a ductless mini-split system has its own heating and cooling controls, you can achieve custom comfort in each space with a compressor. If you have a room frequented by cold-sensitive people, pets, or plants, the mini-split system allows the room to be heated more than adjacent rooms. Infant nurseries and spaces for people with mobility issues can have flexible heating and cooling solutions with ductless mini-split HVAC units.

Rooms that tend to stay colder or hotter than adjacent rooms will benefit from a ductless mini-split system. Whether the room is drafty or located near an exterior wall, the mini-split unit will make the room as comfortable as the remainder of your home. You needn’t raise the whole house’s temperature to keep rooms colder or warmer than normal. A ductless mini-split system is also a great way to heat a garage or other unheated space next to an indoor room.

To achieve custom comfort, you’ll pay a bit more upfront for your ductless mini-split system. However, the installation of components requires no demolition of your home, so installation times — and labor costs — are lower in most cases.

Conventionally ducted mini-split systems are available that can be installed in tandem with your existing ducts. Your HVAC professional can explain the differences between ductless and ducted mini-split systems.

To learn more about the benefits and value of ductless mini-split systems, contact
Comfort Solutions

today. Our skilled zonal heating experts install, repair, replace, and upgrade HVAC systems throughout Ogden, Bountiful, Layton, and Salt Lake City, Utah.