Ductless Air Conditioning

Answer 1

For homes that have hot water baseboard heat, whole house air conditioning presents the issue of having to install duct work throughout the house. Large facilities such as old churches that do not have any forced air heating system, or an inadequate one, are problematic for installing duct work as well. Fortunately there is ductless air conditioning available.

An air conditioning system relies on refrigerated air being able to be forced into the area that needs to be cooled. A maze of duct work normally hidden in floors, walls and ceilings is the traditional method of moving the chilled air from the AC unit, which may be in a basement or utility room attached to a forced air furnace, to the room needing cooled. Duct work can be made of sheet metal or made of plastic and wire fashioned into long flexible pipes.

A ductless system puts all of the required components of an AC unit in one room. The AC units installed in most motel and many hotel rooms as well as the AC units in most hospital rooms are ductless. There is a unit mounted on a wall or beneath a window that distributes the cool air into the room. Though they work on the same principal as a window unit with the cooling coil (evaporator) on the inside and the heat exchanger (condensing coil) on the outside, these units are permanently mounted.

Unlike window or wall units a permanently installed ductless system does not require using one of the home or building’s windows, does not require covering or removal for winter, and does not require making a big hole in the wall. Typical installations have a part of the AC unit outside with a couple of small pipes that are hidden in conduit to transport circulating refrigerant traveling from the cooling unit inside to the condensing cool unit mounted outside.

The cooling units can be mounted high or low and have remotely connected thermostats and fan control switches. The separate units can be mounted just opposite one another through a wall or may be separated using the small pipes that will circulate the refrigerant. There is no need to knock big holes in walls or ceilings to install duct work. The ductless systems can also serve to generate heat in colder weather with just a flip of the switch.

Answer 2

For a homeowner or renter that cannot get access to regular air conditioning, a ductless air conditioner is often an excellent option. These systems are easy to use, have many benefits over other types of units, and can be easily found with a short shopping trip.

Description

A ductless air conditioner, which is also known as a mini-split system, is made up of two principal components, those being a unit that delivers cold air to the room that is mounted to the inside wall (also called an evaporator) and a unit that is mounted on the outside of the wall (also called a condenser). The condenser creates air conditioning to be expelled out of the mounted evaporator. Between them, run two refrigerant lines. One of the lines delivers electricity, and one that takes away water, or condensate. The line refrigerant in the split system also comes in two types, R22 refrigerant and R410A Refrigerant.

This system also has a quiet, variable blower, as well as thermostatic controls. A high-velocity system is best used in a house without ducts. This system will work best for homeowners that are most concerned with cooling off a particular room rather than an entire house.

Benefits

This type of air conditioning system has several advantages, making it more convenient than a traditional window unit. First, a ductless air conditioning unit has a thermostat that allows the homeowner to keep the room at a constant and comfortable temperature. With a typical wall unit, the unit is generally blasted off and on. Also, the security concerns that may arise with having an open window and a moveable unit are not applicable with a ductless air conditioner, and the homeowner will not have to worry about moving the unit in and out of the window with the changing of seasons.

Shopping for a Ductless Air Conditioner

Most leading appliance retailers will sell air conditioners, including ductless systems. When shopping online, sites like ACDirect.com offer a variety of options for ductless systems, from Mitsubishi Electric, LG, and a variety of other leading retailers. Units run for a variety of prices, so generally every shopper will be able to find a ductless system to fit both their budget and cooling needs.