Ductless mini-splits are efficient, compact and extremely quiet alternatives to traditional HVAC systems. Unfortunately, because there are a lot of common misconceptions about them, they don’t get quite as much attention as they deserve. To help set this right, we’re going to debunk five common myths about ductless HVAC systems in Sarasota, FL.
1. They Cool Your Home Unevenly
Traditional HVAC systems use ducts to channel and deliver treated air to the various areas of a building. Since mini-splits don’t distribute air in this way, you may have some misgivings about their ability to cool your home evenly. Fortunately, there is no reason to worry about this.
Instead of ducts, mini-splits use a series of air handler units to do their work. You can divide your home into as many cooling or heating zones as you like with each unit responsible for its own zone. Each unit also has its own separate fan, giving it the power to circulate air however it needs to within its respective zone.
Ultimately, this means that whether the system cools your home evenly or not depends on whether you want it to do so. If you’d like to impose the same temperature on your entire home, you can program each unit to behave the same way. On the other hand, if you need to accommodate different people’s preferences, you can vary heating and cooling patterns between zones.
2. They Are Intended for New Homes
If you’d like to go ductless but already have ductwork sitting in your home, you may think it’s not feasible. You might worry that it may simply not be in the cards for you to get a ductless system.
You’ll be happy to learn that there isn’t much foundation for such concerns. The air handler units that we’ve discussed are quite small, and you’ll easily be able to attach them to free spots on the walls in various rooms. Since these units are the only indoor elements of the mini-split system, the ductwork from your previous system won’t interfere with your ability to enjoy the benefits that mini-splits offer.
3. They Are Tough to Maintain
While the compactness of ductless systems certainly has its advantages, it may give rise to other anxieties about maintenance. If the gadgetry in the various parts of the system is fragile, keeping it from falling into disrepair may be a hassle.
However, tune-ups are not significantly different for mini-splits than they are for traditional HVAC systems. As with other systems, you should schedule maintenance for your mini-split at least once per year.
4. They Don’t Last Long
Even if maintenance presents no major issues, you may still have concerns about mini-splits’ longevity. Happily, with a proper maintenance regimen, mini-splits will function effectively for about 20 years, which is a slightly longer service life than that of traditional central HVAC systems.
5. They May Harm Your Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Typically, standard HVAC systems force air to pass through multiple air filters before finally releasing it into your home, ensuring that that air is free of at least the great majority of serious pollutants. With no labyrinth of ducts to make possible any multi-stage filtration, you may think that ductless mini-splits won’t be able to maintain IAQ as forcefully.
Ductless mini-splits do have filters, and these filters can remove pollutants from the air just as thoroughly as other kinds of filters can. Though you will have to clean your mini-splits’ filters once every two weeks rather than the more standard period of once every three months, the filters themselves are no less powerful.
Dispelling misconceptions about ductless HVAC systems can be the first step to sparking interest in them. Residents of Sarasota, FL who value versatility certainly can’t go wrong by going ductless. If these systems appeal to you, call Climatic Conditioning, and request our ductless AC services today.
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