Ductless AC: What You Need to Know

Most homes in the area rely on traditional centralized air conditioners, which cool the air in a single location and then blow it through your home via the ducts. It’s comparatively simple and quite effective. Unfortunately, it’s not always the right choice for every home. If a centralized air conditioner won’t work, you might want to look into other options.

Among those we recommend are ductless mini split systems, a form of comprehensive air conditioner that eliminates the need for ducts. The system tends to cost more to install than centralized systems, but the benefits it can reap over time are substantial. How does it all work and what are the advantages of a ductless air conditioning system? Read on for the answers from the Denver HVAC team at Bell Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, & Electrical or give us a call!

How Does a Ductless Air Conditioner Work?

In a ductless system, the heat and air go through a cycle to heat and cool your home. Using a heat pump, the cycle transfers heat from evaporation and condensation, using a refrigerant substance that moves through the system with a compressor pump. There are two heat exchanger coils: one used to condense the refrigerant and the other to evaporate it. The air is cooled because the refrigerant absorbs heat around it as it goes through the evaporation process and during the condensing process the previously absorbed heat is released.

As a result, you can maintain the ideal temperature, whether it is to heat or cool your home. In other words, the heat pump used in a ductless system cools the air by reversing refrigerant flow between the indoor and outdoor units. While it might seem odd that a “heat” pump is used to cool your home, it is the way the heat pump cycles hot air and turns it into cool air that makes it so effective and efficient.

How is a Ductless Air Conditioner Different from Central AC?

Because ductless air conditioners cool air without using ducts, they tend to be more energy-efficient and effective at maintaining consistent, comfortable temperatures. The air does not have time to warm while traveling through the ducts and instead is delivered directly to each room. 

The system is easier to install without the need to knock out ceilings and walls. The outdoor unit provides cool air for up to four indoor units and is connected to the indoor units with a small 3” hole. It is the ideal solution for many situations, including homes with low ceilings, additions, or rooms that tend to be warmer than the rest of the home.

What are the Components of Ductless Air Conditioning?

As already mentioned, the ductless AC unit consists of three main components:

1. Indoor Unit: The cool air is delivered to individual units located in each room. These units have their own controls, allowing you to reach the ideal comfort level for each room.
2. Outdoor Unit: Your indoor units are all connected to a single outdoor unit to generate the cool air in your rooms.
3. Remote Control: The remote controls the temperature of each room.

The three components are easy to install and take up very little space.

What Are the Benefits of a Ductless AC?

Ductless systems have a few benefits that other whole-home air conditioning systems do not:

• Zone Control Cooling: Every indoor blower operates independently; as such, each one can be easily programmed to cool as desired. This eliminates uneven cooling as created by hot/cold spots with a single-set system and also helps promote energy efficiency, as you only cool what is needed.
• Flexible placement: The indoor blower in a ductless system is a little over a ½ foot long (about 7 inches) and is approximately 2 inches deep. The size of the blower gives a great deal of flexibility when it comes to placement in a room.

• Very quiet: Because ductless systems need an indoor blower to work, these blowers were designed to operate very quietly.
• Ideal for specialty space: Ductless air conditioners are ideal for renovations and home additions, rooms with low ceilings, areas where ductwork can’t be accommodated, garages, repurposed rooms without air conditioning.

Are Ductless Air Conditioners Efficient?

One of the biggest ways a ductless AC offers good energy efficiency is due to the lack of ductwork. Faulty ductwork can result in up to 30% of your home’s total air loss, which is not something you’ll ever have to deal with when it comes to a ductless system. 

Another way ductless systems offer good energy efficiency is with customized cooling. The individual blowers allow you to use only the cooling you need, which can reduce your overall energy usage. Lastly, if you choose to install a heat pump with your ductless system, it will also heat your home during winter without the use of any fossil fuels, which can greatly improve your home’s carbon footprint.

How Are Ductless Indoor Units Mounted?

Indoor units are very flexible offering many options for installation including:

• Ceiling suspension
• Mounted flush for drop ceilings
• Wall-mount
• Freestanding floor units

All models have a reasonably narrow profile, making them easy to fit in any space.

Are Ductless Air Conditioners Compatible with Traditional Systems?

Yes, a ductless air conditioning system can be added to your home even if you have a traditional system in place. It is the ideal solution for easy installation in all kinds of scenarios, including renovations of awkward spaces such as workrooms, sheds, and garages, as well as providing more efficient heating and cooling for rooms that have difficulty maintaining comfortable temperatures.

Ductless Air Conditioners Aren’t Always the Best Option for Your Home

Because of the numerous advantages of ductless mini splits, some homeowners assume they are the optimal choice for all homes. But there is no such thing as a “best” installation. Every home has different needs and layouts that will affect how well a comfort system cools and heats it. In the case of ductless mini split heat pumps, the presence of pre-existing ducts may make them unnecessary. For new homes and remodeling jobs, on the other hand, they may be the best choice. Let the HVAC professionals guide you in making this decision.

The team at Bell Plumbing can perform a load calculation in your home to determine your cooling (and heating) needs, and take you through the steps to find the best comfort solution for you and your family around the year.

Call the Ductless Air Conditioning Experts at Bell Plumbing

Not only should you hire only trained experts to construct your home’s new addition, you should also hire experts for the installation of your new ductless system. The AC and remodeling pros at Bell Plumbing and Heating can help you with all of your ductless cooling needs in Denver, CO – just give us a call!