While many homeowners in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky are familiar with the conventional central air conditioner setup, there are numerous types of cooling systems that can provide comfort throughout a home. Ductless air conditioners are one such type that have become more widely used in recent years, thanks to the many advantages they provide. If you’re not familiar with this type of HVAC unit, you’re probably wondering how ductless air conditioning systems work. Rusk Heating & Cooling explains in our most recent blog.
How Do Ductless Air Conditioners Work?
The split system central air conditioners most people are familiar with when we think of cooling systems provide cooling across a home via an indoor unit, an outdoor condenser unit, and a network of ducts for indoor air circulation. Air from throughout the home flows through the ducts to the indoor unit, where an evaporator coil removes heat from the air, and the blower pushes cool air back into the living spaces. Refrigerant in the coil absorbs heat and then travels through the lines to the outdoor unit where it is released into the environment.
This conventional cooling system relies on one indoor unit to perform heat exchange and ducts to deliver conditioned air throughout the home. When it comes to ductless systems, the equipment and delivery of cooled air are different.
So, how do ductless air conditioners work? Instead of one central indoor unit, one or more air handling units are installed throughout the home, directly within the area they serve. Multiple indoor units can be connected to an outdoor air conditioner to perform the heat transfer process that cools indoor air. With air handlers in every zone, there is no need for ductwork – the air handler delivers cooled air right into the space it serves! These cooling systems are also called ductless mini splits.
Benefits of Ductless Mini Split Systems
A ductless AC unit offers benefits that other cooling systems cannot. From convenience to comfort, here are some of the advantages a ductless mini split air conditioner brings to your household:
1. Easy Zoning
With an air handler installed in each area of the home, ductless HVAC systems are essentially zoned cooling. In a traditional central cooling system, the entire home is served by the single air conditioner, which can lead to hot and cold spots and other comfort issues because different areas have different needs. In a ductless system, each air handler controls cooling output independently, which allows you to adjust cooling in each area as needed so the unique comfort needs of occupants are met wherever they are.
2. Ease of Installation
Installing ductless mini split air conditioners isn’t as complicated as a traditional central air conditioning system. First, no ducts are needed, which makes these systems ideal in homes without ducts or where installing new ducts just isn’t feasible. Indoor and outdoor units connect via conduit lines that require only a small 3-inch hole through an exterior wall.
3. Ideal for Various Applications
A ductless heat pump can provide a whole home cooling solution, or cool areas that are not connected to an existing central system. An existing central air conditioner may not have the capacity to cool new home additions or recently refinished basements and attics, so a ductless air conditioner can be installed to provide cooling in these areas while the rest of the home is cooled by the ducted central air conditioner. Air handlers can be mounted on the ceiling or wall depending on the needs of your space.
4. Superior Energy Efficiency
Ducts are notorious for energy waste, allowing as much as 30 percent of heating and cooling energy to escape through leaks in the average home. Since ductless air conditioners eliminate ductwork altogether, these systems offer an immediate energy-efficiency improvement of 20 to 30 percent on average when compared to a ducted system.
Learn More about Ductless Cooling for Your Home
If you have further questions about ductless AC systems, Rusk Heating & Cooling is here to help. Our heating and cooling professionals can design and install a ductless mini split system that serves your comfort needs, whether one room needs cooling or the entire house! Contact us today to request a consultation.