Guide to Mini-Splits vs. Heat Pumps
Are you looking for a efficient, affordable home comfort system? If electricity is the better or only solution available to you, a central heat pump or ductless mini-split could be a good choice. Both systems run on electric power and run in heating and cooling modes for 365 days of comfort. So, have you made your choice? If you're still trying to decide, read more about each HVAC system to help you settle on a make and model.
What Is a Heat Pump?
A heat pump is a kind of central climate control system. Different from a furnace, which generates usable heat for the home by combusting a fuel source, a heat pump redirects heat from one place to another. In the winter, it extracts heat energy from the air outdoors and redirects it inside. Then, a built-in reversing valve enables it to perform this process backward in the summer, working the same as an AC system 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. As a matter of fact, it is a kind of heat pump — but although they don’t use the ductwork. This is why it’s called a “ductless” system. A mini-split can be a ceiling- or wall-mounted unit with a built-in air handler. This indoor component hooks up directly to an outdoor condensing unit via a tiny hole drilled in the wall. Multiple indoor units can link up with a single outdoor unit, providing whole-home comfort with no ductwork required.
Making Your Choice
Here are key details to think about when deciding between a heat pump and a mini-split for your Fort Myers home.
Ductwork & Installation
If your home is currently heated and cooled with a standard furnace and AC unit, the required ductwork infrastructure is already in place. So in this case, installing a heat pump is potentially the more affordable solution.
However, if you live in an older home or have just made an addition, you may not have ductwork where you want climate control. In this case, getting a mini-split is much less complex and is more affordable than installing in the ductwork required for a heat pump.
Unit Control
Heat pumps are controlled in a way similar to most other central heating and cooling systems: by adjusting a wall-mounted thermostat installed in a accessible location. On the other hand, ductless mini-splits use a remote that lets you control each wall-mounted unit from anywhere in the room.
Zoning
If you’re happy with adjusting the temperature throughout the house using a single thermostat, zoning may not be worth the effort. If it is, you can enhance home comfort and conserve energy by heating and cooling separate rooms independently.
Such ‘zoned’ temperature control can be integrated into a central heat pump system by installing multiple thermostats and ductwork dampers. But it may be simpler and more cost-effective to install mini-splits in rooms with individual temperature needs, whether they’re heated and cooled by a central HVAC system or not.
Design Flexibility
Heat pumps don’t focus on flexibility. Instead, they can replace your existing furnace and air conditioner and supply whole-house comfort thanks to a network of air ducts.
Mini-splits have more choices for where you can put the unit. You can install one in a single room that you would otherwise find difficult to keep comfortable. You could mount one in a transformed garage or sunroom without new ductwork. You can also outfit the entire house with a mini-split air handler in each room, all connected to the outdoor condensing unit for cost-effective operation.
Energy Efficiency
Modern heat pumps are more efficient than ever. There are even cold-climate versions on the market for a performance boost at low temperatures.
Regardless, ductless mini-splits are usually more efficient because they don’t suffer the energy losses that come with leaky ductwork. A normal home wastes more than 20% of the air traveling through the ductwork to poor 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 almost identical to central air conditioning units. The outdoor cabinet is nearly indistinguishable, and the indoor air handler is concealed within a utility closet or place in the basement.
In contrast, 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 installed on the wall or ceiling.
Schedule Heat Pump or Mini-Split Installation
No matter which decision you make, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can perform the professional installation you want. Our specialists are ready to provide excellent products and services protected by our one-year 100% satisfaction guarantee. To ask more questions about heat pumps vs. mini-splits or request an installation estimate, please contact your local Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning office today.
