Conscious Choice: Ductless Air Conditioning

July 2000 | Sensible Home

Ductless Air Conditioning

by James Dulley

Dear Jim: Several rooms in my house are uncomfortably hot, but I don’t want window air conditioners and I cannot afford a central system. Will a quiet ductless system, often used with hot-water heat, work for me too? — Mike R.

Dear Mike: A ductless mini-split air conditioner is an excellent choice for any climate and home. These systems are also often used for whole-house cooling in homes with hot water radiant heat (no hot-air ductwork). Heat pump models are also available for efficient heating in the winter too.

These ductless air conditioners are called mini-splits because they are similar to a regular ducted central air conditioner, but on a smaller scale. The compressor unit is located outdoors and a super-quiet cooling unit is mounted high on a wall or ceiling.

If you currently do not have air-conditioning, or if you have a central system that does not cool well, adding a ductless air conditioner provides better comfort than a window unit. It is quieter and more efficient and has more cooling capacity.

Instead of using window air-conditioners, which block windows and can present a security risk, the tiny refrigerant lines and wiring come indoors through a three-inch hole in the wall. When properly positioned, three ductless indoor units can easily cool an entire house.

Unlike central air-conditioning outdoor units, an outdoor unit for a ductless system is small and quiet. A typical indoor unit is only 32 inches by 11 inches by 7 inches deep and weighs 18 pounds. Models with built-in filters are often more effective than a central filter for removing larger allergen particles.

For convenience and comfort, better models have hand-held remote controls that regulate everything — temperature, louver directions, on/off times, etc. If your area has high humidity, select a model with a dry-mode setting. This adjusts the air flow for comfortable, low-humidity indoor air.

For a very large area, a model with moving vanes is a plus to distribute the cool air evenly. Using a hand-held remote, you can also adjust the louvers up/down and right/left to concentrate the cooling in one smaller area.

In addition to the comfort and quiet operation, using a ductless model, with or without central air-conditioning, can save you money. These units are equipped with hand-held remotes that allow you to cool only certain areas of your home during certain times, which results in big savings on your electric bills.

For winter heating, you can choose a heat-pump model, with or without backup electric heat. If you hate that first shot of chilly air when the blower starts, select a model with a preheater for the air.

Write for (or instantly download) Update Bulletin No. 643, a buyer’s guide of nine ductless air conditioners listing cooling/heating outputs, efficiency ratings, comfort features, zones available, diagrams, and a payback/savings chart. Please include $3 and a business-size SASE. James Dulley, Conscious Choice, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244

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