Homeowner’s Guide Ductless Mini-Split Systems

September 4, 2024

One newer HVAC system that has gained a lot of popularity in the residential marketplace is the ductless mini-split system. As its name suggests, this system does not rely on traditional ducting to deliver treated air throughout your home. We’re going to go over what this type of HVAC system is and how it could be beneficial for you and your home.

What Is a Ductless Mini-Split System?

A ductless mini-split system is a type of HVAC system that can provide both heating and cooling for your home. It is comprised of an outdoor condenser unit and various indoor air handler units. These units are referred to as ductless mini-split systems. Each unit can be mounted on the wall, floor, or ceiling and has its own individual temperature settings. This allows you to set different temperatures for various areas of your home.

How Do These Systems Operate?

Ductless mini-split systems operate thanks to a substance known as refrigerant. Refrigerant runs in copper tubing between your outdoor condenser unit and every indoor mini-split unit. At its simplest description, refrigerant absorbs heat from one location and transports it to another.

During the summertime, air is pulled into each mini-split unit via its internal blower fan. The warm air passes over the evaporator coil, which is filled with refrigerant. Heat then transfers from the air to the refrigerant. When this happens, excess humidity from the air drips onto the evaporator coil and is drained outdoors.

The refrigerant is pumped outdoors to your condenser unit via your system’s compressor pump. When at your outdoor unit, another blower fan alongside a condenser coil is responsible for dispersing the heat to the outdoor air. This process happens over and over again until the room the unit is in reaches the desired temperature set.

In the wintertime, this process essentially works in reverse. It absorbs heat from the air outdoors at the condenser unit. Then, the compressor reverses the flow of refrigerant so it comes back into your home. As cold air from the room gets pulled into the mini-split unit, it absorbs heat from the evaporator coil. This heats up the room until it reaches your desired temperature setting.

Completely Ductless Operation

Unlike traditional ducting, each mini-split unit is responsible for handling the heating or cooling of air in its room. Therefore, you’ll need multiple mini-split units positioned throughout your home. Ideally, you’ll want one unit per room. Mini-split units are available in a wide variety of sizes, so you can match the ideal heating or cooling capacity with the appropriate size of room that you have.

Most modern-day condenser units can handle up to eight mini-split units. If you have a larger home, you may need more than one condenser unit to handle your comfort needs. Furthermore, some very large rooms may need more than one mini-split unit to control their temperatures adequately.

What Are Some Benefits of Ductless Mini-Split Systems?

One of the biggest benefits of ductless mini-split systems is that they can be installed without the need for existing ductwork. This is especially important in older homes because the cost of installing ductwork can be extravagant due to its labor-intensive needs. Ductless mini-split systems allow you to heat and cool your older home without investing a ton of money in installing new ductwork.

These units also operate very efficiently when in mild climates. Instead of burning fuel to create heat, like many other types of heating systems out there, these systems simply transport heat. This allows them to use much less energy, which translates to lower utility bills for you. Plus, they don’t create any harmful exhaust fumes like fuel-burning heating systems do. This fact makes them much safer for the average household to operate.

One lesser-known benefit of ductless mini-split systems is they make you eligible for tax rebates. Homeowners who invest in this type of system can receive a tax rebate of up to $2,000 from the federal government. Even some local and state governments are offering tax incentives to get homeowners to invest in these energy-efficient appliances.

Expert Ductless Mini-Split Service

Climate Control offers expert ductless mini-split service for the entire Portland, OR community. Our technicians can help with all your heating, air conditioning, generator, indoor air quality, duct cleaning, water heater, and commercial HVAC needs. Simply call us today to get the professional assistance you need.