Climate Masters Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Ductless Mini Splits’

What Is a Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioning System?

Monday, June 1st, 2015

It wasn’t very long ago that the only way to have whole home air conditioning was to have ductwork throughout your house. Several systems now offer whole home cooling without the need for ductwork, including ductless mini split air conditioning systems. How does this type of system work? Let’s take a look.

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Comparing Centralized Heating Systems to Ductless Mini Split Systems

Wednesday, March 12th, 2014

Ductless heating systems are not new to the HVAC world, but they may seem new to homeowners. It’s only in recent memory that ductless systems shifted from commercial use into homes. Before then, when people wanted heating in their home, they needed central heating like a furnace or a standard heat pump.

As a homeowner, you now face a major choice with your heating: a centralized system that uses ducts, or a ductless mini split. This isn’t an easy decision to make, and finding an answer depends on your future plans for your home, as well as your home’s current condition. But there is help available: call Climate Masters and speak to our specialists in heating. They are experienced with both central and ductless heating installation in St. Augustine, FL. They’ll assist you with making the right choice for your situation.

How Does a Ductless System Work?

For the most part, ductless systems are heat pumps, and work in the same fashion: moving heat from the outside to the inside. (They also reverse direction to deliver cooling.) The difference is the air distribution system. Instead of a central indoor unit and air handler that send the conditioned air through ducts, mini splits have multiple smaller blower units mounted on the room walls, each connected to the single outdoor unit. These units blow conditioned air directly into the rooms.

Centralized vs. Ductless

The main advantage of using centralized systems is that many homes already have ductwork systems in place, even if they use a radiant heater, for their air conditioner. It makes sense for most homeowners to install a centralized heater to make use of this ductwork. For houses with pre-existing ventilation, ductless installation makes the most sense for add-on rooms.

Where does ductless come out ahead? Not to point out the obvious, but ductless mini split systems don’t require ducts, and that carries some major advantages. It means the air won’t pick up the dust and contamination that can gather in ducts, and there are no ducts that require regular cleaning and repairs to seal leaks. Ductless mini splits also permit zone control without requiring any special installation: individual blower units can be shut off where they aren’t needed. This means large energy savings.

Find the Right System for You

Ductless comes with many advantages, and may sound like the superior choice. However, ductless mini splits are probably best for new construction and any home that doesn’t have ductwork already installed. You’ll need to have installation professionals look over your house to determine if ductless or centralized will work better. Call Climate Masters and make an appointment with our St. Augustine, FL heating installation technicians today and find out which wins for your home: ductless or centralized.

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I’ve Heard of Ductless Mini Split Heating: Is It Really That Good?

Friday, November 15th, 2013

For years, you probably accepted ductwork as a necessary part of home life. Even if you used a boiler to keep you warm during the occasional cold Florida nights, you still needed ducts for your air conditioner to send cooled air throughout your house. But you’ve heard about something called “ductless” mini split heating. That sounds like a good idea. However, things that sound too good to be true often are. Is that the case with ductless mini split heating?

No, not at all. Ductless mini splits offer tremendous advantages to homeowners, especially in places with less need for heating, like St. Augustine, FL. Ductless mini splits can provide you with sufficient heat and superb air conditioning, all without the need for ducts. If you are interested in getting one of these ductless systems installed, contact our specialists at Climate Masters. Let us handle your concerns from step one.

What’s so great about a ductless mini split?

First, ductless mini splits are heat pumps, which work as both air conditioners and heaters. You solve two comfort problems at once. Heat pumps draw heat out of your home during the summer, and put it into your home during the winter, simply reversing the direction of their operation. Because heat pumps do not burn fuel to generate heat, instead using only a small amount of electricity to move heat, they are among the most energy-efficient and cost-reducing ways to provide heat for your home.

Then there’s the difference in going ductless. Instead of using duct work to distribute heated or cooled air, a ductless mini split uses individual blower units mounted in different room (or “regions”), each of which has a refrigerant line running to the outdoor unit. You no longer have to worry about dust or breaks in the ducts, and you have zone control over the heating and cooling in different rooms.

So why doesn’t everybody install a ductless mini split?

Although ductless mini splits sound fantastic, they will not work ideally for every home. For houses that already have ductwork installed, it might be better to go with a standard heat pump that uses ducts. (You’ll still get all of the regular advantages of a heat pump.) For some houses, the heating function on the heat pump won’t supply a sufficient level of warmth, and a furnace will work better, or a hybrid system that hooks up a heat pump to a back-up furnace.

The best way to know if you should go with a ductless mini split for your heating in St. Augustine, FL is to consult with HVAC installation experts. They can survey your home and deduce its heating and cooling requirements, then provide you with a solid idea of how to get the maximum comfort. Trust Climate Masters to help you with the important decisions about heating your home.

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