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Is a Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump Right for my Home?
You may have heard about ductless mini-split heat pumps, but just what are they, how do they work, and are they right for your home? SImply put, a ductless mini-split heat pump is a heating and cooling unit that doesn’t use a ductwork system like traditional furnaces and air conditioners. It is an efficient choice for managing your home comfort in our Omaha, Nebraska, climate. Here’s a little more information about ductless mini-split heat pumps.
How Do Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pumps Work?
A ductless mini-split heat pump heats and cools individual rooms. The installation features an outdoor compressor/condenser and one or more indoor air handling units that are typically mounted to the wall near the ceiling. These are connected to the outdoor unit by refrigerant tubing, suction tubing, a power cable, and a condensate drain line. All of these tubes pass through a three-inch hole in the wall.
Each indoor unit has its own heat pump and can be individually controlled. This means you can adjust the temperature on each unit to deliver the ideal amount of heating or cooling in every part of your home.
Heating and Cooling with a Ductless Mini-Split System
Heat pumps both heat and cool your home. While traditional furnaces generate their own heat, heat pumps move heat from one area to another. In cooling mode, they pull heat from the air inside the home and vent it outside. In heating mode, the system brings heat from the outside air in to warm your home.
Pros of Ductless Systems
Ductless heat pumps offer many advantages over traditional ducted systems. If you switch to a ductless system, you’ll enjoy:
- Adjustable comfort in every part of the home that has a unit
- Lower utility bills because the heat transfer system is more efficient
- No air loss through leaky ducts, which results in higher energy bills
Cons of Ductless Systems
If you’re considering a switch to a ductless mini-split, here are a few drawbacks that you may want to consider. These systems are best when you’re using them throughout the whole home, as this is the most efficient way to offset the installation cost.
- Installation costs are higher than switching from a typical ducted system to another ducted system.
- A ductless heat pump is more expensive than baseboard heating if you’re warming a single room.
- The heating mode is not sufficient for extremely cold temperatures (below 30 degrees Fahrenheit). Mini splits come in different ratings. If you want to ensure that your ductless mini-split will perform at top capacity during low temperatures, we recommend that you invest in a system with a higher HSPF Heating Seasonal Performance Factor rating. Here is a breakdown:
- Economy Mini Split warms down to 30 degrees
- Mid-Level Mini Split warms down to 20 degrees
- Low-ambient mini split warms down to 10 degrees and lower