A mini-split is an alternative to central air conditioning for home cooling. These ductless systems are increasingly popular in the United States. Whether a mini-split is right for you comes down to its potential advantages and disadvantages.
Pro: No Ducts Required
Ducts can be an expensive proposition whether you must replace old ones or have an older house without them. They can also be difficult to maintain and often require camera inspections, cleaning to remove dust and sealing to prevent leakage.
Not needing ducts means that mini-splits are a suitable option for practically any home. Mini-splits are a money-saving alternative to window units for older houses. They’re also a great choice for finished basements, home offices, attached garages and bedroom zoning.
Con: Equipment Costs
A central AC doesn’t need a lot of equipment. It will typically have one outdoor unit. And inside your home, it only requires one evaporator coil, blower and condensate drain line. Mini-splits come with an indoor unit for every zone in the home.
That means that if you have four zones, you need four blowers, evaporator coils and drain lines. There are also challenges in scaling mini-splits for larger houses. If you need more than the typical number of zones, you may require a second outdoor condenser unit. That can increase your overall costs dramatically.
Pro: Energy Efficiency
Mini-splits are more efficient for two core reasons. One is that you don’t need to worry about duct leakage, which can be 20% or higher in the typical ducted system. The other is that you avoid unnecessary cooling, such as in the downstairs overnight while you’re sleeping upstairs.
Con: Maintenance
Because they have individual indoor units, mini-splits require more maintenance. You’ll need to clean your mini-split filters about every two weeks. Your annual maintenance appointments will also be more expensive and time-consuming. That’s because your technician will have to inspect, clean and tune all the indoor units individually.
Pro: Personalized Comfort
Traditional central systems maintain the same temperature throughout a home. With zoning, you can maintain cool sleep temperatures without excessively cooling the rest of the home. You can keep your kitchen a bit cooler, and all your household members can adjust their bedrooms based on their personal preferences.
Con: Indoor Air Quality Impact
Central cooling systems do a better job of not distributing dust throughout the home. Mini-splits have limited integrated air filtration and limited space for the dust to go. It’s important to keep the filters clean, which can be a chore. The replacement filters also tend to be more expensive than typical central HVAC filters.
To schedule an installation consultation or a ductless mini-split service appointment, call Whipple Plumbing in Salt Lake City, UT, or contact us online.
