How Many Rooms Can a Mini Split Cool?

Do you have a large home or office? Your current heating or cooling solution might not be cutting it anymore, especially considering some rooms feel very comfortable, but others are always too hot or cold. You’re thinking of upgrading to ductless mini split heating and cooling instead.

This is definitely a great choice, as mini splits are advantageous in many ways. You save money compared to using central air conditioning systems. Long-term, you could see more money pocketed thanks to lower utility bills. Ductless units are also known for their quiet operation, especially compared to your large, clunky air conditioner or heater.

One of the biggest benefits of ductless mini split systems–and one we think you’ll most be interested in–is the capacity for zoned heating and cooling. This lets you target those troublesome rooms that lack adequate heating and cooling while the other rooms feel comfortable enough.

The question becomes, if you have multiple troublesome rooms, how many can you expect to heat or cool at once with a mini split?

To answer that question, we have to look at the evaporator units included with your ductless mini split. An evaporator unit takes liquids like water and makes them into vapor. When the water is vaporized, it then becomes a gas.

Your ductless mini split also has a condenser, which houses the evaporator. Four of these can go in one condenser, and since you only need one condenser per mini split system, that means you can cool or heat four rooms at the same time.

If you needed even more heating or cooling than that, it might be possible.

Take, for instance, ductless mini split heating or cooling zones. A zone is an area that requires more heating or cooling from the mini split, represented in square footage. It may not necessary be an entire room, but just a part of the house or office.

If you had only one zone that needed heating or cooling, then a single-zone ductless mini split would be the best solution for you. There are also two-zone, three-zone, four-zone, and five-zone systems, all referred to as multi-zone mini splits.

By adding more mini splits, you don’t necessarily need a second compressor. You’re also looking at a higher project installation and maintenance cost, so that’s something to keep in mind.

That’s because the more square footage you have, the higher the heating/cooling capacity. In British thermal units or BTUs per hour, you’d need 6,000 BTUs for up to 250 square feet. If your zone is over 1,000 square feet, that requires 18,000 BTUs. For 1,200 to 1,400 square feet of space, your mini split should generate 23,000 BTUs of heating/cooling. Once you exceed 1,500 square feet of space, the capacity rises to 24,000 BTUs and up.

Your climate, how well-insulated your home or office is, and the height of your ceiling can all play a role in the total BTUs required to heat/cool a room as well.

Whether you need a single-zone or a multi-zone ductless mini split system, you can count on the reliability and expertise of PowerSave AC for your heating/cooling. We look forward to working with you!

Sources:

http://mitsubishiacdealers.com/info/what-size-system