Guide to Mini-Splits vs. Heat Pumps
Are you looking for a reliable, affordable home comfort system? If electricity is the ideal or only solution available to you, a central heat pump or ductless mini-split could be a convenient option. Both systems operate on electric power and run in heating and cooling modes for 365 days of comfort. So, is it a heat pump or mini-split for you? If you're still trying to decide, get the details about each HVAC system to help you make your mind up.
What Is a Heat Pump?
A heat pump is a type of central climate control system. Different from a furnace, which generates usable heat for the home by igniting a fuel source, a heat pump moves heat from one place to another. In the winter, it extracts heat energy from the air outdoors and deposits it inside. Then, a built-in reversing valve enables it to operate backward in the summer, working the same as an air conditioner to remove heat and humidity from indoor air and vent it outside.
What Is a Mini-Split?
A mini-split operates on the same principle as a heat pump. Actually, it is a kind of heat pump — but although they don’t use the ductwork. That’s why it’s called a “ductless” system. A mini-split could be a ceiling- or wall-mounted unit with a built-in air handler. This indoor component connects directly to an outdoor condensing unit through a tiny hole drilled into the wall. Various indoor units can connect with a single outdoor unit, allowing for whole-home comfort with no ductwork needed.
Making Your Choice
Here are significant things to consider when choosing between a heat pump and a mini-split for your Longmont home.
Ductwork & Installation
If your home is already heated and cooled with a traditional furnace and central AC system, the required ductwork infrastructure is already in place. In this situation, installing a heat pump is potentially the more affordable choice.
On the other hand, if you live in an older home or have just completed a renovation, you might not have ductwork in reach. In this case, adding a mini-split is much less involved and is more cost effective than putting in the ductwork required for a heat pump.
Unit Control
Heat pumps are managed very much like most other central heating and cooling systems: by adjusting a wall-mounted thermostat installed in a accessible location. On the flip side, ductless mini-splits have a remote that lets you adjust each wall-mounted unit from anywhere in the room.
Zoning
If you’re content with regulating the temperature throughout the house using a single thermostat, zoning may not be required. But you can maximize home comfort and reduce wasted energy by heating and cooling separate rooms separately.
Such ‘zoned’ temperature control can be incorporated into a central heat pump system by installing multiple thermostats and ductwork dampers. But it may be easier and more affordable to install mini-splits in rooms with distinct temperature needs, whether they’re heated and cooled by a central HVAC system or not.
Design Adaptability
Heat pumps don’t emphasize flexibility. Instead, they can replace your existing furnace and air conditioner and offer whole-house comfort through a network of air ducts.
Mini-splits have more options for where you can put the unit. You can add one in a single room that you would otherwise find difficult to keep comfortable. You can mount one in a modified garage or sunroom without new ductwork. You can also outfit the entire house with a mini-split air handler in each room, all hooked up to the outdoor condensing unit for affordable operation.
Energy Efficiency
New heat pumps are more efficient than ever. There are even cold-climate versions on the market for a performance boost at low temperatures.
Even so, ductless mini-splits are basically more efficient because they don’t suffer the energy losses that come with leaky ductwork. A normal home squanders more than 20% of the air traveling through the ductwork to inadequate air sealing or a lack of insulation. This suggests that a mini-split is more likely to supply the same quantity of hot or cold air at a lower cost.
Appearance
Heat pumps look pretty much the same as central air conditioning units. The outdoor unit is nearly indistinguishable, and the indoor air handler sits within a utility closet or somewhere in the basement.
On the other hand, mini-splits are more noticeable. The air handlers come in sleek jackets designed to be unnoticeable, but they are clearly visible in any room in which they are displayed on the wall or ceiling.
Schedule Heat Pump or Mini-Split Installation
No matter which system you decide is right for your home, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can complete the professional installation you expect. Our technicians are ready to deliver excellent products and services supported by our one-year 100% satisfaction guarantee. To learn more about heat pumps vs. mini-splits or request an installation estimate, please contact your nearby Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning office today.
