Marshfield Affordable Ductless Air Conditioning

Installing central AC could easily become a costly and time-consuming operation if your house does not already have ductwork built in. Whereas central AC is a convenient way to cool down a whole house, many dwellings and budgets simply cannot afford these technologies. Here are the alternative options to a central AC unit.

If you live in a drier climate, one cost-effective solution is an evaporative cooler, also known as a swamp cooler. Unfortunately, these units tend to be noisy and are limited in their ability to cool. There are many homes now who are going for the ductless mini-split system. There are many benefits to this system for homes that are not set up for central air conditioning. They are energy efficient, easy to install, and don’t pose any zoning issues.

How does ductless air conditioning work?

In a ductless system, you can find air handling units and a condenser. The refrigerant cools the indoor air passing through the unit. The heat from it is moved then by the conduit that is connected to the outdoor unit.

The fans in the air handlers are designed to run as quietly as possible, so they’re no louder than a central AC system and run much more quietly than the typical window fan. Fortunately, the loudest system component, the condenser, is installed outdoors, just as it is with central AC.

Air handlers for your ductless system may be installed on the ceiling or wall, or recessed into a ceiling or wall to achieve a flushed look, and every room that needs to be cooled will need an air handling unit. Controls can be done individually or attained by setting up communications to a thermostat.

If you want to establish different cooling zones in your home you can have multiple thermostats installed. You might want to have separate thermostats upstairs and downstairs, or in little-used spaces, like a guest room. Most ductless systems can be programmed to control four separate zones within a home.

What are the benefits of ductless systems?

For homes that lack ductwork, a duct-free, mini-split AC system is fairly easy to install. Homeowners typically have a choice in the type of air handlers that are mounted and where they are located in the house. Slightly more pricey are those who lie flushed with the ceiling or wall, but can be more aesthetically pleasing.

To retrofit a home with ducts for a central air conditioning unit, there needs to be a reduction of closet space and holes in walls and ceilings. With a ductless system, however, the only retrofitting needed is to cut a small home to allow the air handlers installed in your home to be connected to the condenser unit installed outdoors.

Ductless air conditioning systems are more energy efficient than central air conditioning because the cooled air doesn’t have to travel through large ducts to get to where it’s needed. Ductless systems are generally about 30% more energy efficient than central AC, which translates into lower utility bills. This mostly happens because of the holes and leaks in the ductwork.

One of the benefits of ductless mini split systems is that the whole building doesn’t have to be cooled at one time as homeowners can just cool the areas in use. If you have bedrooms in the upper level of your home, you can set that to cool at night and turn off the lower areas until morning. This will definitely be a better way to lower your electricity bills.

A ductless unit can be superior to window air conditioning units, as they are often safer and keep pests away by keeping your home windows closed when you want, rather than always partially open. These systems also offer more flexibility on its placement as they don’t need to be placed in the window but can be placed elsewhere in the room. They can also provide comfort year-round, as you can set them to warm rather than cool during the winter months.

Professional Installation

If you decide that a ductless mini-split air conditioning is right for your home, a professional can help install the system quickly. They will be able to take measurements and determine how many units you’ll need to cool the space and discuss setting your zones, if necessary.

Installing a ductless system is much easier than retrofitting ductwork, but the work should still be done by a professional because toxic chemicals and electrical wiring are involved. You can also count on an AC professional to give good recommendations for the best air handlers for your home and where they should be placed. You can rely on a trained AC professional to do whatever it takes–a service call, repair, or replacement–to get your home comfortably cool.