Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioning | Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Ductless Mini Split

Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioning

If you have ever wondered if an air conditioner existed that didn't require blocking a window, or be installed under your house, the answer is "yes, there is". The ductless mini split air conditioning system is exactly what a lot of people have invented many times in their heads. It doesn't require ductwork, and that is the reason it's called ductless. The mini split is a self-contained air conditioning unit, that cools a room quickly and efficiently. All you need is a room, and even if you have no window in that room, you can have a private, one room unit that runs quietly, smoothly, and cools you at a very affordable cost added to your electric bill.

Why A Ductless Mini Split Air Unit?

Already popular in the UK, ductless mini split air conditioning is beginning to take on in the United States. Some people are not impressed, but those that are, are very impressed. For many years, cooling a room required either you spent money on a central unit system, installed all up in your attic, or down in your basement, or you placed a bulky, not very attractive, unit in a window in your house. The window unit also came with a vibrating noise, and although many people don't consider it before it's too late, it is a perfect opening for a burglar to enter in and take everything. They might even carry the window air conditioner with them as well. The ductless mini split air conditioning system is actually two parts, one being the inside unit, that cools your room using a fan and cooling coil. The outside unit is the condenser, and is designed to allow the warmer air and water to flow to that unit. Inside, the unit has a control panel for adjusting the temperature.

A ductless mini split air conditioning unit is great for a add-on room, or when you remodel your garage into an extra room. All that is required is that a hole be drilled to allow for connecting all the wiring between the two units. It is recommended to have a mini split air conditioning unit install by a professional, to ensure a proper working system. The inside unit hangs high on the wall, and is not as unattractive as a window unit. Another plus for the ductless unit, it is not as noisy as a window unit, and the quieter humming sound is more soothing, than annoying. The unit is also designed as a heat pump, if you need to heat the same room in the summer months. Each room will need it's own mini split unit installed, and that may be one of the major complaints. Many feel one large central unit is easier to use, than adding a unit to each room. Expense may be involved when installing the room units, but the mini split has proven to save energy at about 30%.

The Disadvantages of Using Ductless Mini Split

There are several disadvantages to the mini split, mainly the initial installing price, and the fact that many units are needed to cool the entire house. Actually, about four units could efficiently cool a small house of about six rooms. If your house has a central unit, it is still a good idea to cool any room that seems to stay warmer than others. Or better yet, if your home is quite large, and you need to only live in a couple of rooms, there is a great advantage to cooling that room with a ductless mini split air conditioning unit. It is also a drawback that most HVAC specialists are not qualified to service the mini split, as these units require a special set of tools for maintenance. Unfortunately, technicians with these qualifications are presently very rare.

If you are in the market for air conditioning this year, you may want to add the ductless mini split air conditioning unit to you list of considerations. Especially if you have had trouble with duct work under you home, small crawl space doesn't allow for easy maintenance, and small animals can get under a house and make havoc of duct work. Homes with children, or adults that work at night, and need to sleep during the day may love the extra quieter experience cooling a room with a mini split unit. If you live too close to neighbors, and you don't want loud window units disrupting them, the mini split may be an option. For some people who have only had window units, the ductless mini split seems like just what they have always envisioned.