Are you struggling to keep warm during the frigid winter nights? Does turning on your furnace to increase your heat scare you because of the thought of increased utility bills? If so, you might be surprised to learn just how easy it might be to solve both of these problems.
For many people, using their furnace during winter or air conditioner during summer may seem like a good idea, but the truth of the matter is it might cost a significant sum of money. This is because a traditional central HVAC system requires you to heat or cool your entire home, even rooms you aren’t using. As such, you have to pay to heat or cool your whole home, and that drives up costs.
However, there’s a low-cost and energy-efficient solution that allows you to get the heat or cooling you need without breaking the bank in energy costs: a ductless HVAC system. As their name implies, a ductless heating or cooling system does not require a duct network in order to operate, instead of existing as one fully-functioning unit that’s usually installed on an outdoor-facing wall.
Ductless systems work the same as a regular air-source heat pump–transferring atmospheric heat from outdoor air and pulling it inside for heating in winter, or absorbing indoor heat and pushing it outside for summer cooling. Because of their small size, they’re not ideal for heating or cooling your entire home, but they are remarkably effective at providing supplemental heating and cooling for a single space.
Zoning with Ductless Systems
Ductless systems consist of one outdoor compressor unit and one (or more) indoor air-handling units. Because of their smaller size and lower cost to purchase, install, and operate, they’re an effective zonal heating and cooling option for your home. In HVAC terms, “zoning” is the ability to split your home in to different climate “zones” over which you have individual control of the temperature. Some multi-story homes have different zones for the top and bottom floors, while other homes are divided by each individual room. Generally, the more zones you have in your home, the better control you have.
Because a ductless system is generally only effective at cooling or heating one particular space, they are remarkably effective at creating these different temperature zones through providing supplementary heating or cooling. This type of arrangement allows you to run your existing central furnace at a lower temperature or air conditioner slightly higher, which saves you a ton of energy and money, and then get a little bit of extra heat from your ductless system in order to remain comfortable. As a result, you spend less on energy, don’t heat rooms you aren’t using, and preserve your central HVAC system’s lifespan by making sure it doesn’t have to work as hard.
Here are just a few of the benefits of going ductless:
Heating and cooling in one: Ductless systems often function as both a heater and an air conditioner, so you’ll enjoy year-round comfort from the same investment.
Easy, low-cost installation: Because ductless by definition don’t require expensive ductwork, installation is usually hassle-free and can normally be completed in a matter of hours.
Monthly savings: Ductless systems use only a small portion of the energy of your central heating or cooling system, and significantly less than
Quiet operation: As mentioned earlier, ductless systems have an indoor and an outdoor unit. This allows for all of the loud components to be installed in the outdoor unit instead of the indoor, making operation much quieter.
Increased all-around comfort: Ductless systems distribute temperature evenly and efficiently throughout the rooms they are in compared to traditional heaters and air conditioners, making all of your living spaces more comfortable.
Think a ductless HVAC system is for you? Call Arco Comfort Air at (216) 230-5117 today so we can help with any of your installation needs!
