There’s an option for heating and cooling in modern homes that has been exponentially growing in popularity, and that is the ductless mini split heat pump system. Instead of operating through a network of ducts connected to an indoor air handler and evaporator unit, a ductless system basically breaks up the indoor unit and the blower fans in order to distribute conditioned air throughout your home in the form of mini air handlers, mounted high on the wall.
If you’ve ever been in a home and seen something on the wall that looks like window AC unit but it doesn’t go back through the wall, then you’re looking at a component of a ductless system. These wall units are each hooked up to a single outdoor unit, creating a central heat pump system without the use of air ducts. This form of Denver, CO air conditioning is very efficient and beneficial in a number of ways, but there are some unique needs that aren’t necessarily downsides, but are important to be aware of.
Each wall-mounted air handler has a series of connections in it, which are routed through a hold behind it—this includes a power line, refrigerant line, and condensate line. The last one removes water moisture from the cooling process so it doesn’t enter your home. Whether it’s due to poor installation or some type of structural problem, a leak can occur. While rare, a leak behind an air handler can lead to that air handler separating from the wall, and breaking as a result.
Speaking of broken air handler, this is one problem you’d never have with a conventional AC, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it’s somewhat a benefit! What we mean by this is that if you have a single broken air handler, you’re still able to receive conditioned air from the other air handlers in your home.
This issue is not just unique to ductless systems, however it’s an important one to be aware of since the leak has the potential to seep into your home rather than outside. A refrigerant leak can typically be detected by a hissing sound, or loss of cooling power from your air conditioner or the affected air handler. Be sure to call us for repairs right away if you suspect you have a refrigerant leak!
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