Weighing Your Options When Upgrading Your AC Unit

So your old A/C unit is on its last leg.  It’s been a faithful supplier of heated air in the cold winters and wonderful cooled air during those hot summer months but after many years of loyal service it has finally come to it’s natural end.  Or possibly your old unit has just become too bulky and noisy and just needs to be replaced with a younger, less clunky model that can be more energy efficient and have a more appealing design.  This is a scenario facing lots of Homeowners at the moment and during these record-breaking summer months effective and efficient A/C units are an absolute must.  With that said, there are lots of newer options in the ever-changing air conditioning market that are becoming less expensive and more efficient than ever.  The option we’re going to go over in today’s article is a new trend known as “ductless mini split systems”.

So What Are Ductless Mini Split Systems?

Ductless mini split systems have actually been around for some time now and are utilized all over the world, mainly in Europe and Latin America and with good reason.  They are energy efficient, powerful, and down-right easy to install.  They require no ductwork and can be installed in virtually any situation needing a new A/C unit.  The major advantage to these systems of course their ductless nature, A/C ducts can be traps for mold and bacteria and can be hard to clean and maintain.  A/C ducts are also less efficient than ductless A/C systems because of the surface are that the air must pass through in order to get to the room it is servicing.  The ductless A/C systems uses “zones” with inverters to pass the cooled or heated air into the room or rooms.  These are connected through very thing pipes which can be easily concealed and don’t require and structural changes to a house.  Here’s a diagram of how they operate:

Another major advantage to ductless systems is that they have the ability to have multiple “zones” meaning that you can install several inverters throughout your home and be able to individually select the temperature on a room-by-room basis.  This feature ends the age-old argument that has gone on in households since the dawn of A/C units about what setting to set the A/C, now you can make your room whatever temperature you want without affecting other rooms in the house.  These are known as ‘multi-zone’ systems.  You can also expect to save a nice amount on your electricity bill using these systems for the simple fact that they are significantly more efficient than other systems.  On average home-owners can save around 30% on their heating/cooling electricity costs and those savings can add up very fast.

So if you’re in the market for a new A/C system this summer, be sure to checkout what ductless mini split systems can offer!