The right air conditioning unit can make an incredible difference to your home, but how do you choose the right one? While it may be winter right now, that doesn’t mean much in Florida’s climate, where we have sweltering summers and winters that would be laughable to our family and friends up north. If you’re considering a new HVAC unit to help keep your home cool, consider a ductless AC unit.
Ductless vs. Central Air Conditioning System
While either system can work, it helps to consider the unique elements of both, and what you need for your home specifically. Central air units are the traditional option, but they need an incredible amount of space which can make things complicated. A ductless AC unit offers certain advantages while bypassing a few stressors that come with installing a new unit.
Let’s break them down.
- Zone control
While central air units are great at regulating the temperature throughout a house, they need a special setup to allow zonal control. On the other hand, ductless units are designed as zoned air conditioners because they only affect the room they’re installed in.
This gives you more control over the temperature in individual rooms/zones. Ductless units also reduce the waste that comes with cooling areas of the house no one is using.
- Heating and cooling functions
Many ductless models can switch between cooling or heating the air. They do this by reversing the direction they’re running in, effectively turning into heat pumps when you need to warm a room. This is perfect for homes without a furnace. Even if you already have a boiler/furnace installed, a ductless unit can provide support and reduce your reliance on it.
- Energy efficient
While central units have a greater capacity for regulating large spaces, ductless systems are built for efficiency. They need less energy to cool a room and aren’t susceptible to ductwork issues like leaks and dust buildup in the vents. This efficiency can play a big part in keeping the electric bill down when the weather calls for prolonged cooling.
Thanks to their size and design, ductless systems tend to be quieter too, making for a less disruptive experience when you need your AC.
- Flexible installation
The size of a unit plays a part in how easy it is to install. Central units need to be rigged with a network of ducts to distribute air throughout the house. Ductless systems only need a small hole drilled into an external wall, and the unit itself doesn’t need much space on it.
If space and installation costs are considerations, going ductless can offer you a flexible solution.
- Easier maintenance
Generally speaking, the smaller the system, the fewer parts there are to maintain. Ductless AC units are easier to service because they’re compact and don’t rely on extensive infrastructure the way central units do.
This reduces both time and money costs when a unit does need work, and limits disruptions to one room instead of the whole house.
For quality and reliable air conditioning installation in Navarre, contact Kool Breeze of Northwest Florida, Inc.