Everything You Need to Know About Home Heating & Cooling Mini Split Systems

Mini splits are becoming popular options for homes and offices everywhere. Also known as ductless systems, mini splits offer cooling capabilities without the added work, expense, and complexity of ductwork.

That said, mini splits aren’t necessarily the best option for every home or office setup. Find out more about home heating and cooling with mini split systems and its benefits.

What Is a Mini Split?

Conventional HVAC and mini splits are similar in their function. They both work by transferring heat from inside to the outdoors while in cooling mode, but there’s a difference in where that cool air comes from.

The cool air in HVAC systems comes from the air handler and is sent through the ducts to cool your home. Mini splits work a little differently in that they push cool air from different air handlers to offer zoned cooling.

Mini splits are also fairly straightforward. They use two main components: an outdoor compressor/condenser and an indoor air handler. Other components are used, such as refrigerant tubing.

Mini splits work by pulling the warm air in your home into the air handler, which is then transferred to the condenser through copper lines and coolant coils. The warm air hits the coolant coils and transfers thermal energy to them, which heats the liquid inside and converts it into a gas. That gas is sent back to the air handler and into the room. Through a few cycles, the room is cooled.

When Should Mini Splits Be Used?

Mini splits are versatile options for a lot of spaces, but sometimes a conventional HVAC system is the better choice. Here’s when mini splits should be used:

If Your Home or Office Has Pre-Existing Ductwork

If you have an older home or office, it may not have ductwork. Adding the renovation and installation of the ductwork can add costs to your HVAC system setup, but mini splits can be installed without any extra ductwork.

Mini split systems have a lot of advantages over conventional systems, including:

Energy Efficiency

Conventional HVAC systems can use a lot of energy – and money – to keep large spaces a consistent temperature. Ductless systems can cool zoned spaces at different temperatures, ensuring you don’t waste energy cooling unused spaces.

Flexibility with Older Homes

Older homes and buildings often lack the ductwork needed for a conventional HVAC system. If you want to install one, you have to tear up your walls and ceilings to install the ducts – adding to your overall costs. Even if you have ducts, you may not have them in new additions or other spaces in your home, which can be cooled with a ductless system.

Scalability to Grow with You

Your conventional HVAC system is chosen to fit your home’s size and features, so if you start expanding, you may need to upgrade your system to accommodate the extra space. Ductless systems are ideal in this case to cool the new spaces without a lot of extra expenses.

Cost-Effective Heating and Cooling

Ductless systems are generally affordable. More complex systems come with upfront costs, but that pays off in the long run with lower energy bills for better energy efficiency. It’s also generally cheaper to install a ductless system than a conventional system with necessary ductwork.