Last updated on October 12th, 2022 at 06:50 am
Are you looking for a way to achieve more temperature control at lower cost? If you haven’t already set one up, you should seriously consider installing a mini split. These unobtrusive heat pumps provide both heating and cooling with incredibly high energy efficiency.
What is a Mini Split?
A mini split is a small, flexible ductless heating system. It works much like your refrigerator, by pulling heat out of one area and depositing it somewhere else. When you want to heat your home, it will pull heat out of the air outside (even when it’s freezing!) and transfer it indoors. Similarly, you can use your mini split to transfer unwanted indoor heat to the outside on hot summer days.
A mini split system typically includes an indoor air-handling unit and an outdoor condenser. The indoor air-handling portion is usually mounted into a drop ceiling, suspended from the ceiling, or hung on the wall.
Mini splits are a great option for homeowners who want to increase energy efficiency, comfort, and even air quality inside their homes. They are also popular for room additions when it’s difficult to extend the current ductwork. If you are thinking about installing air conditioning but balk at the cost, you may find that installing a mini-split instead saves you more than half the money you would otherwise spend on whole-home air conditioning.
Overall, a mini-split is an excellent investment for most homeowners in the Pacific Northwest.
Mini Splits are Efficient at Heating
Mini splits can be far more efficient than standard source HVAC systems with ducts. Standard heating systems lose as much as 30% of the energy used to ducts.
Electric resistance heating, which is the traditional choice for an electricity-powered heating system, converts nearly 100% of the energy used to heat. While that sounds pretty good at first glance, mini split heat pumps are even more efficient.
Mini-splits transport existing heat rather than directly heating cool air. They often use less energy to run than they add to the room in the form of heat. In other words, mini splits can work with well over 100% efficiency.
Mini Splits Provide Both Heating and Cooling
Mini split heat pumps can provide both heating and cooling. That’s a major advantage in the Pacific Northwest, where it can seem almost silly to install an entire air-conditioning system for a just a few uncomfortably hot days in the summer. With a heat pump, you can get the benefits of air conditioning without installing a separate unit.
When used for cooling, a mini split works much like your refrigerator. It can pull heat out of a relatively cool space into a warmer one — in this case, out of your home and into the warm outside air. Similarly, a mini split used for heating will pull heat out of the outdoors (even when it’s freezing!) and into your home.
Mini Splits Offer Better Control
Mini splits offer more comfort and control than most systems. You can set up different zones with different temperatures, which means you can make one room a different temperature from the others.
Mini splits and other ductless heating systems are often used for multifamily housing and multi-use buildings. With an ultra-quiet fan in each zone, you can create an even temperature throughout each room by evenly circulating conditioned or heated air.
Mini Splits Could Improve Your Air Quality
Central air systems have air filters just inside the HVAC system, but the air quality generally diminishes as air travels through the ducts. Many buildings actually have worse air quality than the outdoors.
Mini split heat pumps generally have high-performance filters in each individual evaporator. These filters get rid of dust, pollen, and other pollutants that would otherwise contaminate the air you and your family breathe.
Mini Splits Create A Safer Home
Safety may not be top of mind when choosing a temperature control system for your home, but it’s something you should be considering! Traditional heating and cooling options such as through-the-wall air conditioners often require you to create sizeable openings in your home’s walls. These holes can serve as a relatively easy entrance for intruders.
Mini splits, on the other hand, only require a small hole in the wall. They make your home a bit safer than a home with a through-the-wall or window-mounted air conditioner.
Mini Splits are Better for the Environment
Mini splits are not as flashy as rooftop solar panels, but they can save a huge amount of energy.
Mini splits also use environmentally friendlier refrigerants. The most common refrigerant used, R410A, causes zero ozone depletion and is overall much better for the environment than most alternative sources.
The Mini Split Installation Process is Simple
The mini split installation process is generally fast relative to other heating system installations. The technician only needs to create a three-inch hole in the wall for the conduit connecting the indoor and outdoor components. You may also need a minor retrofit, depending on where you install your mini split.
This simple installation process means that installing a mini split costs less than installing other systems. As a bonus, some utility systems will give you a rebate just for installing a ductless heat pump. Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy, Snohomish County Public Utility District No. 1, and many other local utilities offer cash incentives for choosing a mini split.
If you choose a mini split temperature control system, you can significantly increase your home’s comfort and energy efficiency with minimal disruption.
Installing a Mini Split in Snohomish County
Paragon Heating and Home Comfort Solutions is a home heating contractor serving homeowners in Snohomish and East King County. We specialize in heating and air conditioning repair and installation, including installing mini splits and other heat pumps. We are proud of our tradition of excellent service and high-quality workmanship.
Our highly trained, certified, and experienced technicians will help ensure you have a comfort care system customized for your needs. Contact us today to learn more about installing a mini split in your home.
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