Ductless Mini Splits

HVAC technology sure has come a long way. Through all the strides, it’s more energy efficient than it has been but still not as eco-friendly as other heating and cooling solutions such as ductless mini split systems.

Energy efficiency must matter to you as a consumer. A greener heating and cooling setup needs less power to run, which reduces your carbon footprint. As an added bonus, you can save a lot of money.

Just how much cash can you put back in your pocket by switching to a ductless mini split system from traditional HVAC? That’s exactly what we’ll explore in this post.

Traditional HVAC Costs

Let’s begin by investigating the costs of traditional HVAC, such as a furnace or air conditioner.

For example, you bought a new AC. Its capacity is 20,000 British thermal units, which is standard for a residential central AC unit.

Ductless mini split systems can heat or cool a space without using too much energy, making them a desirable alternative to standard HVAC. You’re eagerly soaking up as much information about mini splits as you can before you buy one, and you’re wondering if they require a heat pump. Do they need one?

Let’s answer that question in today’s post!

What Is a Heat Pump, Anyway?

A heat pump is a type of heater that sends thermal energy from outdoors inside a building or home via refrigerant. As the name suggests, heat pumps move heat, but don’t generate it themselves.

Instead, the heat pump relies on electricity to warm the components so the pump can then move the heat. The reduced reliance on fuel makes a heat pump an eco-friendly solution for heating indoor environments.

Heat pumps are also energy efficient since they use

After yet another frustrating furnace breakdown, you’re ready to say goodbye to your traditional HVAC for good. You’ve heard great things about mini split heat pumps, and while you’re interested, you haven’t entirely made up your mind yet.

Before you can, you must know how much money you can save if you invest in a mini split heat pump. Allow us to answer that question for you today.

We’ll use examples throughout this post, so while these are figures you can aspire to, they’re not necessarily the precise savings you’ll experience with a ductless mini split heat pump.

Okay, so let’s set up the example. You bought a mini split heat pump that operates at 24,000 British thermal units. It has a seasonal energy efficiency ratio or SEER rating of 18.  In your neighborhood, you pay $0.132 per kilowatt-hour for electricity.

Your mini split heat pump costs $0.18 to run pe

Ductless mini splits are efficiency powerhouses, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do more to enhance their efficiency. You might enjoy even more effective heating and cooling, so what kinds of changes can you make today?

Here’s what we recommend!

Watch How Much Light You Let In

Sunlight brightens our lives and our moods, as it contains vitamin D which makes us happier. However, sunlight is also warm, and too much of it can generate radiant heat in the house.

This makes your mini split have to work that much harder to keep indoor environments comfortable, especially in the summer.

No one’s saying you have to become a vampire and live in darkness but consider using blinds or curtains to reduce the amount of sunlight during the day.

Maintain Your Mini Splits

The best way to keep yo

Who doesn’t love getting money back at tax time? You can spend your tax refund on that home improvement project you’ve put off or even something nice for yourself (you deserve to splurge from time to time, after all!).

You’re planning to install a ductless mini split system in your home soon, and you’d like to plan the work in such a way as to maximize your tax benefits. How do you do that?

Let’s explore!

Know Your Options

To recoup the costs of your mini split, the applicable HVAC tax credit you should look into is the Federal HVAC Tax Credit. It’s also sometimes referred to as the Non-Business Energy Property Tax.

Whatever you prefer to call it, this tax credit went into effect in 2020 alongside the Federal Energy Efficient Tax Credits.

These tax credits can shave dollars off your mini split installatio

Choosing the appropriate size for a ductless mini split system has proven more difficult than you thought.

Is it okay if your mini split is a bit oversized or is it better to undersize it?

If you can’t buy a mini split that’s the appropriate size, a slightly oversized mini split is better than one that’s too small. Let’s explain why.

When you undersize your mini split, you limit its capacity. This hinders how much heating and cooling the unit can provide right out of the gate, which can leave you wanting more.

Once your undersized mini split is hooked up and operational, it works harder to provide any meaningful heating and cooling.

Again, the lack of efficiency can make you think you made a mistake choosing a mini split over standard HVAC when really, it’s that you went too small.

An oversized mini split has more than enough power. While you may wonder what this means from an energy efficiency standpoint, it’s not as bad as you might imagi

You’ve always used traditional HVAC like air conditioning or furnace heating to keep your home comfortable. However, the costs have become increasingly exorbitant, so you’re thinking of exploring other options, such as a ductless mini split system.

Here are five reasons why that’s such a smart choice!

1. Appealing Design

The indoor air-handling units of a ductless mini split system are small and unobtrusive. They certainly blend in better with any home décor than a hulking window air conditioner or a space heater.

Most of the time, you won’t even notice they’re there!

2. More Flexible Installation

Installing a ductless mini split system is phenomenally easy.

It’s all the ductwork that makes traditional HVAC so complex. Once you cut out the ductwork, a team of technicians can set up y

A mini split heat pump is a phenomenal solution for a more comfortable home or commercial building, but this is your first time using something beyond standard HVAC. You want to do it right, so how do you operate one of these systems?

We’ve compiled our best tips and pointers in this article, so make sure you check it out!

Open Some Doors

Although closing a door will trap in warmth, that only benefits that one room. If you open the doors in your home after turning on your mini split heat pump, the warm air can spread more effectively throughout the rest of the house.

Some estimates suggest that this can make a difference of up to 5 degrees Fahrenheit in your home’s temperature. It’s very much a small thing that can lead to big changes!

Let the Sun Help

How bright do you keep your home during the day? If you have the curtains pulled tighter than Fort Knox, you’re blockading the sunlight and the

You love how your mini split remote control makes turning the unit on or off incredibly easy and efficient, but lately, your mini split has been having a problem. It keeps turning itself off rather than you doing it yourself.

What is going on here?

Let’s assess some of the areas that might have gone wrong.

The Mini Split Is Short Cycling

Short cycling is a phenomenon that can occur in air conditioners and mini splits alike. These units are supposed to cool for at least 10 minutes on average, but when they're short cycling, they don’t.

The compressor keeps turning on and off as a consequence, which means your mini split turns on and off right along with it.

The Thermostat Is Malfunctioning

Any type of issue with the mini split’s thermostat is worth paying attention to. If the thermostat reads the temperature incorrectly, after all, then that’s going to impede how your mini split r

Ductless mini splits are an efficient heating and cooling solution for many homes, but when is it appropriate to choose a mini split?

Here are some scenarios in which a mini split is the perfect fit!

To Heat or Cool Existing Rooms in the House like Garages or Attics

Basements, garages, and attics, although they vary widely in size and function, often share one thing in common. That is, none of them are insulated!

So what does this mean for you, the homeowner? Spending time in any of these rooms is going to be an unbearable thought for most of the year. In the summer, the rooms get too hot, and in the winter, freezing cold.

Ductless mini splits are a convenient option for these parts of your home. You can create customized cooling and heating solutions without ductwork.

Whether you use your garage, attic, and basement primarily for storage, recreational areas, or even as secondary bedrooms, you’ll get the most o