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Do I need a Mini Split for Every Room?

Do I need a Mini Split for Every Room?

April 19th, 2021

woman-using-remote-to-turn-on-ductless-air-handler

Temperatures may have cooled down for a short bit again, but don’t let Mother Nature fool you! You know as well as we do that summer is right around the corner, and if you don’t already have one you’re going to need an effective and efficient air conditioner installed in your home. And if you’re like many modern homeowners, you might be considering a ductless mini-split system as your next air conditioner installation.

These are powerful, efficient, and versatile systems. They have increased in popularity recently, and for good reason! One of the questions we get from customers about these systems is, “Do I need a mini split for every room?” When they ask this, they’re asking about the air handlers, which are often mounted up high on the walls in each room that the homeowner wants cooling (or heating).

The short answer to this question is “it depends,” and the longer answer is a bit debatable among even HVAC professionals. Read on and we’ll help you decide what’s best for your home!

How a Ductless System Is Set Up

Ductless systems work on heat pump technology. This means they use refrigerant to transfer heat energy. They can be used to both cool a home and heat a home. Each ductless system is comprised of an outdoor unit, and multiple air handlers, or mini splits. Depending on the model, each outdoor unit can manage up to 4-8 air handlers, and each air handler can be controlled independently of one another.

The Pros of Multiple Mini Split Air Handlers

So if 4-8 air handlers are available, does that mean that you should take advantage of each one? Here are the pros to doing so:

  • Having one air handler in each bedroom, as well as the kitchen area and living room (and formal dining room, if you have one) means you can control the cooling and heating in each room independently. This is very efficient and allows for personalized comfort for each member of your household.
  • Having multiple air handlers means that if anything goes wrong with one, you’ll still have multiple areas in your home that you can go to in order to stay cool (or warm) while you wait for repairs.

The Cons of Multiple Mini Split Air Handlers

It may seem like there’s no reason to forgo any of the air handlers available to you, but that’s not necessarily true. Here are the cons of having too many:

  • They’re not needed for small rooms like bathrooms, hallways, or walk-in closets. These rooms will get the residual conditioning from the bigger rooms they’re in. Using too many in this way can actually decrease efficiency instead of benefiting it.
  • Ductless AC installation is a bit costlier than installing a traditional central air conditioner (provided you already have ductwork in place). Therefore, you could be paying more by installing more mini split air handlers than you need.

Trust the Pros for an Answer

When you contact our team to determine the best option for you and your home, we’ll do what’s called a cooling load calculation and help you determine exactly what you need for your home, and where placing air handlers will be most beneficial.

For professional ductless ac installation in Woodstock, GA, contact Dayco Systems Heating & Cooling today!