Still Another Reason to Opt for the Ductless Mini-Split

Electric baseboard heating is one of the most expensive ways to heat a room or home, and if you’re tired of high electric bills, a ductless mini-split represents a solid option. Mini-splits are heat pumps (or A/Cs for just cooling) that use no ducts to deliver efficient heating and cooling.

Heat pumps are remarkable appliances for conditioning homes. They heat and cool by moving heat from one place to another. In the summer, the pump transfers it outdoors and in the winter, the reversing valve in the pump extracts heat energy from the outdoor air, bringing it inside. Heat pumps and mini-splits can provide three times the heat or more from a single watt of electricity, while electric baseboard heating can only create one watt of heat from each watt it uses.

The ductless mini-split has two primary components: the indoor air handler and the outdoor condensing unit. A conduit connects the two that contains the drainpipe, refrigerant and the power. The condenser sits outside and the air handler can sit on the floor or hang from the ceiling or a wall.

Their benefits include:

• Easy installation. The HVAC installer just needs to cut a small hole through the wall to connect the conduit to the condenser and air handler. The refrigerant has been pre-installed at the factory.
• Energy efficient. Mini-splits must meet the same energy-efficiency standards that heat pumps do. In our climate, selecting one with a scroll compressor will supply more heat and raise the HSPF (heating season performance factor) above the minimum, which stands at 7.7. The lack of ductwork also increases efficiency, since there’s no ducts for air to leak from.
• Easy maintenance. The air filter and evaporator coils inside the air handler are easy to access for cleaning. During the winter, keeping snow away from the condenser will improve its heating efficiency. It will need professional maintenance from time to time.
• Flexibility. Larger mini-splits can accommodate up to four separate air handlers, making it easy to expand the system later.

If you’d like more information about switching from electric heat to a ductless mini-split to lower winter heating bills, please contact us at Stack Heating & Cooling. We’ve provided HVAC services for Northeast Ohio homeowners since 1976.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Cleveland, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about ductless mini splits and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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