Benefits of ductless air conditioners
When the summer heat is on, it can be tough to keep your house cool. Most people turn to central air or a window unit to stay comfortable.
A ductless air conditioner can also help, especially in situations where you may not have ductwork, like a sunroom, or in areas where running ductwork is difficult. They are also ideal for rooms where your HVAC system isn’t keeping the air at a comfortable temperature.
Angie Hicks from Angie’s List says, “A ductless air conditioner can cost about $1,500 to $2,000 per ton of cooling capacity, but you need to remember while these systems are more expensive, not having the ductwork can be a little bit more efficient than a traditional air conditioner because you lose about 20% of the efficiency from the ductwork.”
“The government standard currently is 13 SEER. A SEER rating is basically just an efficiency spectrum where you run from 13 as the standard for a traditional system on up to units that are 20 SEER efficient,” HVAC Contractor Chad Peterman said. “Units like these, a one–to–one system, you can get efficiencies of 20 and a half SEER out of these units. They are extremely efficient.”
An evaporator is installed in the home, and the condenser is placed outside the home. Tubes filled with refrigerant run from the outside unit to the inside unit.
Peterman added, “It’s very easy as far as homeowner maintenance goes. Basically the main thing that you are going to want to do is keep the filters clean. The front will just pop up like this and then the filters will slide out. You have one on each side. Slide these filters out and wash them off under the sink, let them dry and then you are ready to pop them back in.”
“Ductless air conditioners are a little newer technology so you want to make sure you have someone who is experienced in installing them because they are not installed exactly the same way a traditional air conditioner would be installed,” Hicks said.
Some ductless systems also provide heat. You may need to purchase a separate heat pump, but some models come with heat strips already installed.