How Do Ductless Mini Splits Work, And What Should You Know Before Installing One

By James K. Kim

How Do Ductless Mini Splits Work?

Ductless mini splits are capable of both heating and air conditioning your home and provide several useful benefits over older types of central heating and cooling systems. Keep reading to learn more, or call Cottam Heating and Air Conditioning to see if a ductless mini-split is right for you!

Ductless mini-splits are becoming an increasingly popular choice for HVAC systems in homes and businesses for a number of reasons, including higher energy efficiency, increased zone climate control, ease of installation, and affordability.

Ductless mini splits have two main components:

· An outdoor heat pump unit containing a compressor (also sometimes called a “condenser”).

· An indoor air handling evaporator unit (typically available in a wall or floor-mounted unit, or a recessed ceiling cassette).

The indoor evaporator unit contains refrigerant piping and a condensate drain. You can have one or multiple indoor evaporator units connected to a single outdoor heat pump unit.

In a nutshell, ductless mini splits heat or cool a space by:

1. Drawing in the hot or cold air inside a room.
2. Running this air over heated or cooled refrigerant coils.
3. Sending the conditioned air back into the room.
4. Pushing the refrigerant to the outdoor heat pump unit to expel the heat or cold.

What Are The Benefits of Ductless Mini Splits?

Ductless mini splits are more energy efficient and quieter to run than AC window units, and safer to operate than space heaters.

They can be an ideal solution for many homes and commercial spaces, due to their small and compact footprint combined with reliable and strong performance.

Typically, ductless mini splits are installed in spaces where it’s either not possible or economically feasible to run traditional ductwork connected to a forced air furnace or air handler.

These types of spaces include:

• New addition rooms or remodeled areas
• Basements, attics, and garages without ductwork
• Parts of a home where additional supplemental cooling or heating is desired
• Multi-family homes separated into smaller apartment units

Other Benefits Of Ductless Mini Splits

In addition to the very common wall-mounted ductless mini split units, floor and ceiling cassette units are also popular options in homes and businesses.

In particular, the floor and ceiling units are beneficial in maximizing room space, since more wall area is open for more options such as home décor, electronics, or blank wall space.

Ceiling cassettes are even more discrete since they are installed above eye level in the ceiling, with just a visible small grille for airflow.

Regardless if wall, floor, or ceiling cassette units are installed, the end result is still better control and customization of conditioned air according to the user’s preferences. Each unit has customizable airflow outlets that can be opened, closed, and directed accordingly.

Important things to know before installing ductless mini splits

Ductless mini splits should be installed primarily in areas of the home that get “average” temperatures.

Spaces that get extremely hot or freezing can result in incorrect temperature readings that may require corrective adjustments or less-than-optimal performance.

Additionally, the areas for installation should be well-insulated to help prevent condensation within the unit to prevent unseemly organic growth.

Lastly, it’s important to confirm there is sufficient space on the wall, floor, or ceiling without airflow being impeded by rafters, furniture, or other types of structures such as appliances.

Conclusion

Ductless mini splits should provide many years of superior performance and reliability when they are professionally installed and seasonally maintained by experienced and knowledgeable service technicians.

While many homeowners may choose to install ductless mini splits as a DIY home project, it’s important to follow specific best practices and safe installation techniques to ensure proper system operation to prevent a costly and potentially dangerous situation.

If you are interested in scheduling a free consultation for a ductless mini split system installed in your home or workplace, click here to learn more about our Cooling and Heating Solutions from Mitsubishi Electric.