Guide to Mini-Splits vs. Heat Pumps
Are you shopping for a reliable, affordable home comfort system? If electricity is the best or only choice available to you, a central heat pump or ductless mini-split could be perfect for your home. Both systems run on electric power and operate in heating and cooling modes for 365 days of comfort. So, have you made your choice? 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 kind of central climate control system. As opposed to a furnace, which generates usable heat for the home by combusting a fuel source, a heat pump moves heat from one place to another. In the winter, it pulls out heat energy from the air outside and deposits it inside. Then, a built-in reversing valve enables it to complete this process backward in the summer, working the same as an air conditioner to pull heat and humidity from indoor air and vent it outside.
What Is a Mini-Split?
A mini-split works on the same principle as a heat pump. In fact, it is a kind of heat pump — minus the ductwork. That’s why it’s called a “ductless” system. A mini-split is designed as a ceiling- or wall-mounted unit with a built-in air handler. This indoor portion is connected directly to an outdoor condensing unit from a tiny hole drilled into the wall. Various indoor units can link up with a single outdoor unit, providing whole-home comfort with no ductwork needed.
Making Your Decision
These are significant things to consider when deciding between a heat pump and a mini-split for your Calgary home.
Ductwork & Installation
If your home is already heated and cooled with a conventional furnace and central AC system, the needed ductwork infrastructure is already in place. So in this case, installing a heat pump is likely the more affordable choice.
On the other hand, if you live in an older home or have added on to the home, you may not have ductwork in reach. In this case, installing a mini-split is much less complex and is more affordable than adding in the ductwork required for a heat pump.
Unit Control
Heat pumps are controlled identical to most other central heating and cooling systems: by adjusting a wall-mounted thermostat installed in a central location. On the other hand, ductless mini-splits use a remote that lets you operate 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 worth the effort. If it is, you can increase home comfort and reduce wasted energy by heating and cooling separate rooms independently.
Such ‘zoned’ temperature control can be incorporated into a central heat pump system by setting up multiple thermostats and ductwork dampers. But it may be more straightforward and more practical to install mini-splits in rooms with individual 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 deliver whole-house comfort with help from a network of air ducts.
Mini-splits have more options for where you can put the unit. Homeowners can place one in a single room that you would otherwise find challenging to keep comfortable. You can 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 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 usually more efficient because they don’t suffer the energy losses that come with leaky ductwork. The average home squanders more than 20% of the air passing through the ductwork to spotty air sealing or a lack of insulation. This suggests that a mini-split is more likely to provide the same quantity of hot or cold air at a lower cost.
Appearance
Heat pumps look similar to central air conditioning units. The outdoor cabinet is nearly indistinguishable, and the indoor air handler is]] {hidden within a utility closet or somewhere in the basement.
By comparison, mini-splits are easy to view. 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 decision you make, A1 Chesney Service Experts can complete the professional installation you expect. Our specialists are ready to deliver 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 nearest A1 Chesney Service Experts office today.
