If installing HVAC ductwork in your older MetroWest home is too expensive a proposition, mini-split air conditioners can offer a cheaper and more flexible solution.
Advantages of mini-split systems
Ductless mini-split air conditioners are small and compact and can be mounted on walls or floors. Since the units are installed in individual rooms, they allow zoned heating and cooling. Why pay to cool rooms that don’t need it? This means lower utility bills because you’re not paying to cool a room that you’re not in.
Other advantages of mini-split systems include:
- Cooling of more than one room. Up to four indoor units can be connected to one outdoor unit.
- Installation flexibility. Suspend the inside unit from a ceiling, mount it flushed into a drop ceiling, or hang it on a wall.
- Reduced noise. Because all of the loud components are located outdoors, ductless mini-splits are much quieter than AC window units.
- Easy installation. Only needs a small, 3-inch hole to be installed.
- Wherever you put the indoor unit, you can control it with a remote control.
- More energy efficient than window units.
Alternatives to ductwork
According to Energy.gov, mini-split systems offer flexible air conditioning options when the cost of extending ductwork is too expensive:
Most manufacturers of this type of system can provide a variety of lengths of connecting conduits, and, if necessary, you can locate the outdoor unit as far away as 50 feet from the indoor evaporator. This makes it possible to cool rooms on the front side of a house but locate the compressor in a more advantageous or inconspicuous place on the outside of the building.
Mini splits have no ducts, so they avoid the energy losses associated with the ductwork of central forced air systems. Duct losses can account for more than 30 percent of energy consumption for space conditioning, especially if the ducts are in an unconditioned space such as an attic.
We can help
The HVAC experts Nicholson Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning can evaluate your MetroWest home and advise you on whether a mini-split air conditioning system would be a good fit. We can also inspect and tune-up your existing HVAC to keep it running smoothly and efficiently.
If you want to make an appointment to discuss the installation of mini-split cooling in your home or if you have other HVAC maintenance needs, contact Nicholson today at 508-893-4258 or visit www.nicholson-hvac.com. We proudly offer discounts for seniors, veterans and disabled individuals.