Ductless heating and cooling systems are incredibly efficient and provide consistent room comfort throughout your house, but the decision to install one is different for each homeowner. From finding the proper fit for your current home to assessing project costs and long-term savings, there are a series of pros and cons that you must take into consideration when deciding. In this article, we’ll discuss the pros, cons, and situations in which ductless cleaning makes the most sense for your home.
Pros of Ductless System
Ductless heating and cooling is a great solution for people who are looking for an energy-efficient way to heat or cool a specific area of their home. Here are some of the benefits of ductless heating and cooling:
- Ductless systems are more efficient than traditional HVAC systems because they don’t lose energy through ductwork. This will allow you to heat or cool your home with ease, and do so while using less energy over time.
- Ductless models have inverter-driven compressors, which speed up and slow down based on the needs of the system instead of shutting off entirely as traditional HVAC compressors do. This saves you energy and money and will ensure predictable temperature maintenance throughout your home.
- ENERGY STAR ductless models can save you up to 30 percent on your heating and cooling costs, which over time will allow you to spend far less on quality, comfortable household living.
- Ductless systems may qualify for a federal tax credit and local utility incentives. Depending on the unit you install, you’ll be able to benefit from programs put in place to make efficiency accessible. It’s best to speak with an expert technician team to determine what solutions fit.
Beyond efficiency and cost savings, ductless ac systems will also allow you to benefit from easy installation and minimized air conditioner routing through walls – this helps big time with preventing leakage and ensuring security.
The Cons of a Ductless System
Ductless heating and cooling systems are going to have cons, just like any other type of system. When it comes to the cons of a ductless system, the three primary items worth noting are higher up-front cost, the need for monthly filter cleaning, and the lack of aesthetics in most cases.
The higher upfront cost is a major con for ductless heating and cooling systems. For ductwork to be installed in a home, ducts need to be placed within the walls and ceilings of the building structure. There is also the ductwork necessary to connect an outdoor unit with all of the ducts. This can add on extra costs that ductless ac systems do not require.
Ductless systems also need to have a monthly filter cleaning schedule. Most ductless units use a “high-capacity” MERV 13 filter that needs to be replaced every month or cleaned depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations. For ductwork, reusable fiberglass or washable media filters are installed that are only cleaned as often as necessary. Cleaning ductwork filters is not as common as monthly filter changing, but it is still important to do since they can become clogged and reduce airflow.
Finally, ductless heating and cooling systems will not be able to provide any aesthetic benefits for the home. Ducts are normally hidden within walls and ceilings for a reason, ductless systems will typically need to sit in the open because there is no ductwork to connect to. Most ductless heating and cooling system installations are designed with this in mind to help improve aesthetics, but it is still something that needs to be taken into consideration beforehand.
The Ideal Scenarios for a Ductless System
Ductless heating and cooling systems are great pieces of equipment, but they do have a pretty specific purpose. If you’re going to be looking for a ductless ac system, it would be best to take into account these three scenarios to ensure that you’ll be able to benefit from ductless HVAC.
- If you want an affordable, alternative solution for a home that is going to be vacant during certain seasons. Ductless air conditioner systems are great options for vacation homes or properties that will be vacant during specific parts of the year because ductless HVAC takes up less room and can be moved if need be.
- If you want a flexible ductless system capable of installation in a variety of configurations. Ductless heating and cooling systems are great because they’re ductless, meaning that it’s easy to install the unit in all kinds of spaces. They can also be split into two different climate zones to help adapt ductless HVAC for multi-story or wide properties.
- If you want ductwork and ductless air conditioner systems in the same home. Ductwork can be limiting when it comes to ductless HVAC because ducts are built for ductwork. Not all ductless heat pump and cooling systems will have compatibility with ducts, so it’s best to check beforehand if your current duct system can work with a ductless system or not.
Closing
Ductless heating and cooling systems are great pieces of equipment, but they do have a pretty specific purpose. If you’re going to be looking for ductless HVAC options, it’s important to take into account the pros, cons, and use cases we’ve mentioned above to determine if ductless is the best option for your property.
The ThermEnergy team of experts can help find ducts that will allow ductless heating and cooling systems or even provide ductwork installation services so that you can get all set up with this efficient system today. Call now for more info about how our team has been helping families across the GTA address their duct needs for over 20 years!