Well what we are talking about is no ducts. In the Las Vegas area we are primarily concerned with surviving the summers, heating is less of a worry. There are numerous solutions to provide a comfortable environment for ourselves and our family. Generally either a central air conditioning unit with a furnace or a heat pump with auxiliary heating coils. There are estimates that up to about 25% of the work done by the typical system is lost through the ductwork the snakes its way through our attics.
Going Ductless
By eliminating the ductwork, we are no longer concerned about cleaning those ducts and their condition as to leaks and insulation and we should be able to lower our operating costs. A new addition to the home, a man-cave or other similar situation lends themselves to a ductless system for environmental control. Other scenarios start with the empty nesters. Heating and cooling the whole house is inefficient without someone there to take advantage of it. Downsize to a ductless unit in the master bedroom and/or living room will allow the thermostat to set to save on costs throughout the rest of the house but also keep the one or two rooms comfortable.
New Construction Ductless Mini Split & Other Systems
New construction is a good fit for ductless systems. But as with most things in life there are caveats. The primary concern with ductless systems is their cost of installation. You will save on power because of the lack of thermodynamic heat transfer through the duct work. But it may take awhile to recover the difference in expense of installing a ductless system or a more conventional duct system.
Single Room Heating & Cooling Control
The ductless system will allow for individual room climate control. Individual rooms have different needs. Bedrooms have few heating/cooling problems unless they face south or southwest. But kitchens can experience some dramatic temperature changes.
There are maintenance issues as well. For a whole house system, you will have filters to maintain in each room. Most units use washable filters, but they do need cleaning, minimally at least monthly. Ductless fans cannot handle excess debris, so cleaning is essential. For some the design is a stumbling stone. The units only come in white or beige and cannot be covered. But most owners just forget about them once they’re installed. In our location the heat pump nature of the ductless system should handle our winter heating demands without any problems. And they work more efficiently in the summers.
Overview of Ductless Air Conditioner & Heating Systems
Ductless systems are far more efficient than a unit with ducts. Ductless systems have a high up-front cost, a downer. They are aesthetically restricted with a limited color availability. They are a little more maintenance dependent, particularly with multiple rooms. The system uses inside wall-mounted units with an outside compressor unit. The inverter powered compressors speed up or slow down according to the load without the off and on state of the typical AC unit, saving power during the startup of the compressors.
You can go single zone, ductless unit in each room, or multi-zone with a central multiroom unit. There are three primary types of ductless systems: mini-split, multi-split and variable refrigerant flow. Variable flow just controls how much refrigerant flows to each unit and allow simultaneous cooling in one room and heating in the next.
Central Air Conditioning Installation, Replacement & More in Summerlin, North LV, Henderson, Enterprise, Paradise, Sunrise Manor, Spring Valley, Aliante, Anthem, Desert Shores, Eldorado, Green Valley Ranch, Inspirada, Mountain’s Edge, Peccole Ranch, Providence, Rhodes Ranch, Seven Hills, Silverado Ranch, The Lakes, Tuscany Village & Las Vegas Nevada
There are choices and decisions, but long term benefits as well. Energy efficiency is a plus as the cost of electrical power rises. Ever remember a day that the public utilities commission denied a power cost raise? Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning can meet all your heating and cooling needs. Contact us today!