Are VRF Systems Reliable?
Your current heating or cooling system (or perhaps it’s even both) has gotten far too expensive. Not only are you paying a lot in energy bills because your HVAC just isn’t energy-efficient, but the units break down often too. The repairs are getting costlier since the unit’s parts have become harder to come by. Even maintenance isn’t cheap.
It sounds like you could benefit from a new heating and cooling solution. One option you’re looking at is a variable refrigerant flow or VRF system. You’ve heard some good things, but you’re still undecided. Are VRF systems all that reliable?
Most definitely, and they’re certainly more reliable than your current tired air conditioner or heater. Here are some ways that you can rely on a VRF system going forward.
Temperature Control
Your HVAC units lack precise temperature control. Even if you can tip the thermostat needle closer to the exact temperature you want, there’s still the issue that the whole home or commercial building is that one temperature.
Heat rises, which you know quite well if you own a multi-story home or building. You might want less heat upstairs than downstairs, but your HVAC unit can’t do that. A VRF system can. The temperature control freedom you have per zone solves the dilemma of the upstairs rooms being hotter than those downstairs. These separate zones can be set at different temperatures so everyone is happy.
Efficiency
Besides the benefits of more comfort, a VRF system is reliable also in its efficiency. The indoor air-handling units, even if you have several of these throughout your home, can transfer energy amongst themselves in the case of a heat recovery VRF system. This conserves energy.
VRF systems are also energy-efficient in that they don’t blast cool or hot air needlessly. You set the temperature and the VRF system adjusts the indoor air-handling units, allowing them to cool or heat to that temperature. In the case of a heat recovery VRF system, the system can even put the air-handling units on standby if the temperature is too far outside of the selected range.
Potential for Simultaneous Heating and Cooling
By far one of the biggest benefits of some VRF systems is their capacity for cooling and heating from the same unit. This is possible with heat recovery VRF systems especially. You select a mode, be that cooling or heating, and the energy conservation between the indoor air-handling units lets some units blow out cold air and others hot air.
If you have parts of your home like a sunroom that are always warm, you can cool these while providing heating in that drafty home office.
Energy Savings
The best benefit of VRF systems is the potential energy savings. We’ve already established how these systems don’t waste heating or cooling, can hold onto energy and distribute it amongst the indoor air-handling units, and let you achieve optimal temperature control. Oh, and how some VRF units are heaters and ACs in one. All this puts more money in your pocket!
