Summer is here, and that means high temperatures and higher humidity for your air conditioning system to deal with. Most of us use centralized air conditioners to handle the heat of summer: cooling the air in a single main unit, then blowing it through your home with a system of ducts. It’s an easy and effective solution to the problem, but it’s not right for everyone. In those cases, a ductless mini split air conditioning system may be much more useful. How does it work and how can you know if it’s right for you? Here’s a quick primer.
MULTIPLE UNITS
As you may have suspected, ductless systems eschew the need for ducts by spacing multiple smaller units throughout your home instead of one big one. Each unit can be operated fully independently of the others and each one is charged with cooling a single room or section of your home. For many models, that can entail a universal control system, allowing you to control each unit from a single central locale as well as their own control panel. That allows for maximum flexibility in terms of your use of the system.
THE BENEFITS
The first and most important benefit to a ductless system comes in its title: the elimination of the need for ducts in your home. This is a considerable benefit to homes built before the advent of air conditioning, which rarely have the capacity to support a system of ducts. Newer homes may feature architectural quirks that prevent the use of ducts as well. Ductless systems provide a comprehensive way of covering all of the rooms in the home without having to resort to partial solutions like portable units or bulky box units.
Ductless systems also provide an elegant solution for homes looking to save money on air conditioning without skimping on quality. You can turn the air off in parts of the home you aren’t using, such as bedrooms or rooms on the upper story which no one visits during the day, while still running it in parts of the home you are using. That allows you to drop your energy usage considerably, which can be a huge boon to larger homes which often struggle with higher energy bills.
They also work well for homes with many residents, allowing each family member to set the temperature that best suits their taste in their specific room or space. In addition to supporting traditional families whose residents don’t want to squabble over the thermostat setting, they can provide superior air conditioning for hospices, boarding houses and similar buildings supporting a number of occupants.
Ductless systems require professional servicing to install, repair and maintain. A good technician can analyze your home, go over your options with you and present the ideal plan for getting a new system up and running.
If you’re in the market for a new air conditioning system and you think a ductless system might be a good fit for your Portland, OR home, contact the professionals at Western Heating & Cooling today!