Should you choose a ductless heating system for your home's HVAC upgrade? If you're not sure whether this option is right for your needs, take a look at some situations where it makes sense to go ductless.
Does your home's existing heating system include radiators or another non-duct option? Without existing ductwork, the decision to install a new forced air system (which uses ducts) comes with added costs and extra construction.
Like the name implies, ductless units don't require ducts. This means you won't have to break through walls or cut holes in ceilings or floors to install your new HVAC system. Overall, the installation process will take less time and cause less mess than a traditional duct-type option.
Beyond these advantages, you won't have to completely reconfigure your home just to fit in ducts. This allows you to preserve the original architecture and won't force you into making unnecessary structural changes.
You Don't Need to Heat Your Whole Home
Do you pay extra to pump heated air into rooms you seldom or never use? A ductless or mini-split system is the ideal option for anyone who only wants to heat specific zones of their home. This zone-type heating system allows you to keep rooms in use toasty but won't waste warmed air in other areas of your home.
Not only does this reduce the need for heat in unused rooms, but it also is ideal for families who prefer different air temperatures. This allows each family member to customize their indoor environment for their own needs.
You Have Specific Design Issues
Will ducts or radiators near the floor ruin your home's entire interior aesthetic? If you have design needs that don't include your HVAC-related accents, a ductless system is ideal. While you still need indoor units, the HVAC contractor can mount these higher up on a wall and out of the way.
Old, worn, damaged, or poorly insulated ducts can leak heat. The more leaks your ducts have, the harder the furnace is forced to work. This reduces the effectiveness of your home's HVAC system and wastes energy.
Ductless heating systems eliminate this issue and can reduce overall energy usage. This option is an environmentally friendlier way to heat your home and can save you money in winter-time utility bills.
Did you recently add on to your home or are you planning to? A home addition does more than expand the space — it also gives you one more room (or possibly more) to heat.
You have several options when it comes to heating your new home addition. You could extend the existing ductwork into the area. But what happens if that creates architectural problems or you don't have the ducts to extend? You could solve the problem with plug-in space heaters. While these will heat the room, they aren't efficient and can pose fire and other safety risks.
While you could skip the heating entirely, this isn't a reasonable (or advisable) option. This leaves one room seriously uncomfortable in the winter months and can increase the risk of plumbing problems and potential flooding. If the room has exposed or uninsulated pipes, lack of heating can increase the likelihood the pipes will freeze, burst, and damage the surrounding area.
A ductless heating system is an easy way to heat a new addition.
You Want to Cool Your Home Too
Mini-split ductless systems won't just heat your home in the cold winter months. A ductless option can also cool the space in the summer. This double-duty eliminates the need for two separate systems or the addition of clunky, costly room AC units.
