Blog
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February 23, 2022
When you were in the market for a new home, you decided that you wanted a house with character. You found a historical property that you instantly fell in love with. No home is perfect though, and that’s true of yours as well.
In your case, the house is too drafty. You’d love to get the walls re-insulated, but that’s going to be a massive undertaking and thus is something that just isn’t in the cards right now. In the meantime, your furnace works overtime to keep your home moderately cozy all winter.
Your neighbor recommended a ductless mini split for your predicament. You had always assumed that mini splits were only for cooling, not heating as well. After doing a bit of research, you discovered that mini
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February 16, 2022
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, tasteless, odorless gas that is almost impossible to detect without a meter. You’re thinking of upgrading your current heating and cooling solutions and buy a ductless mini split system. You’re concerned about the mini split giving off carbon monoxide, though.
In today’s post, we’ll discuss whether ductless mini splits produce carbon monoxide as well as whether your current heater/furnace or air conditioner does.
Do Mini Splits Produce Carbon Monoxide?
A ductless mini split system includes an outdoor compressor that’s connected to one or more indoor air-handling units. You select the temperature for each air-handling unit using an included thermometer.
The mini split pulls in warm air from your home. The refrigerant in the line reduces the temperature of the evaporator coils, which can then cool the air. The air that comes out is nice and cold.
To heat your home, a ductless mini split works as a heat
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February 09, 2022
In the wintertime, when you feel a chill in the air at home, you hop off the couch, pause your latest Netflix show, and make your way over to your thermostat. You might bump up the thermostat to combat the coldness in the air.
Then, when summer comes, you watch your thermostat like a hawk, especially when the dog days of the season arrive. You love to hear your air conditioner click and hum, as that’s a sign that it’s turning on and your home will feel more comfortable soon.
Those days are behind you now that you’ve ditched the traditional HVAC and made the jump to a ductless mini split system. One thing you didn’t think about before now was temperature control. Can you use a thermostat to set how cold or hot your ductless mini split runs?
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February 02, 2022
Is your home on the drafty side? You know you could use new weatherstripping and probably a fresh set of windows, not to mention upgraded doors. You plan on remodeling your home eventually, but little bits at a time.
After all, first, you need to replace your furnace, as yours is on the fritz. You’ve heard a lot of great things about ductless mini split systems, so you’re interested in buying one of those. Before you proceed, you have to know, will a mini split make your already drafty home even draftier?
No, it won’t!
Here’s how a ductless mini split system works. The system includes a compressor, which is installed outside in your yard. The compressor is connected to indoor air-handling units, which are where the cool or warm air blows out.
Each air-handling unit is installed according to the zones throughout your home that you select. A zone is a part of your home
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January 25, 2022
Once the last snow of the season melts, you’re outside every weekend mowing your lawn, pruning your landscaping, and tending to your garden. You care just as much about the exterior of your home as the interior. After all, when people drive by, it’s the outside of your property they see.
This year, you’ve toyed with the idea of getting a ductless mini split system installed. However, you worry that the inclusion of the system on your property would detract from the look of your home’s exterior.
What does a mini split look like on the outside of the home?
Well, we think you’ll be happy to learn that it doesn’t look like much. Ductless mini split systems include air-handling units and a compressor or condenser. The air-handling units, whether you have one or several for your home, all go inside the house.
The compressor is the outdoor part of your ductless mini split system. It’s about as large as an outdoor air conditioner as part of a central air unit, but
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January 18, 2022
Ah, saving money. It sure is nice, right? You try to cut back wherever you can in many areas of your life.
You wish you could do something about your energy bills though, as those are higher than you’d like. You try to turn off the lights when not in a room and unplug devices you’re not using. Is there more you can do?
Yes, there is. By switching to a ductless mini split system over traditional HVAC such as heaters or air conditioners, you can see some potentially significant savings.
How much money can you expect to pocket by getting a ductless mini split system installed? That varies depending on the square footage of your home, what you currently pay for heating and cooling, and how much heating and cooling you need in British thermal units or BTUs and the cost per kW in the area that you live.
According to mini split manufacturer Mitsubishi, ductless cooling and heating can
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January 11, 2022
A ductless mini split system requires a condenser and air-handling unit to work in conjunction with one another. Both units generate cool or warm air. The condenser goes outside of your home and the air-handling units are installed in the various indoor zones where you need the most heating and cooling.
Precisely how much distance is permitted between the mini split air-handling units and the condenser?
That’s between 15 and 50 feet.
The air-handling units and condenser are connected via a refrigerant line. As the name implies, the line allows the refrigerant to flow through the two components so heating and cooling can occur.
The average length of mini split line is 25 feet, which means that most homeowners select a place for their condenser that creates that much distance between it and the indoor air-handling units.
If your home is narrower and you can’t make 25 feet of space work, then you might opt for 15 feet from one part of the mini split
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January 04, 2022
Almost every ceiling in your home has its own fan. On especially sweltering summer days and nights, you rely on those fans to provide cool air. After another heatwave though, you’ve decided you need a better cooling (and heating) solution.
That’s inspired you to consider a ductless mini split system. Your system has yet to be installed, but you’re wondering if you should still keep your ceiling fans or whether they’d be redundant.
There’s no need to get rid of your ceiling fans now that you’ve chosen a ductless mini split system. You certainly won’t have to use your ceiling fans as much though, that’s for sure!
After
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December 28, 2021
You vacuum your carpeting, sure, and maybe your upholstery from time to time too, especially if it’s dusty. Yet your ductless mini split system? You weren’t aware that you had to vacuum that as well. Do you really?
Yes, vacuuming a mini split is crucial before refrigerant release. That said, it’s not a job you have to do yourself if you don’t feel comfortable. You actually need a special vacuum for this type of job and it does not need to be done regularly like your carpet would. Your mini split technicians will gladly take care of this task for you.
Let’s discuss what the process entails now.
The technician will use tools such as Allen keys, a mini split adapter, HVAC gauges, and a vacuum pump. If not HVAC gauges, then your technician may utilize a micron gauge instead, but the tools are not interchangeable.
The technician will begin by inspecting the tools they are bringing to the job to ensure they are in working order. The valves will include two
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December 21, 2021
In the summer, a window air conditioner in nearly every opening is a common sight in your home. Recently, you sat down and evaluated how much you’re spending on utilities. You can’t believe what electricity suckers all those window units can be!
You need to do something about your HVAC spending. After a bit of research, you became interested in ductless mini splits, which you’ve heard can save you money on your monthly electricity bills.
Can you put a mini split over a window like you would your air conditioner? Not exactly, because a ductless mini split system doesn’t work the same way.
Allow us to explain the parts of a mini split. The outdoor compressor or condenser sits in your yard. Connected to the compressor is a series of indoor air-handling units. These units release the cold air in the summer and then warm air in the winter.
The air-handling units have evaporator coils that are cold due to the refrigerant in the system. When warm air enters the