Planning to Remodel? Go Ductless!

A ductless mini split is often the easiest way to heat and cool a remodeled space. It needs no ductwork, so it suits additions, converted garages, finished attics and older homes that were never built for ducts. It also works for the homeowner who wants one room to be comfortable without upsetting the rest of the house.

Extending existing ducts to a new room can strain a system that was sized for the original floor plan, and in an older home there may simply be nowhere to put them. That is where ductless comes in.

How a ductless mini split works

The system has two main parts: an outdoor unit that holds the compressor, and one or more indoor units mounted on a wall or ceiling. Refrigerant lines and a small electrical connection run between them through a hole in the wall about the size of a fist or smaller.

It is a heat pump, so the same equipment cools in summer and heats in winter by moving heat rather than burning fuel. Each indoor unit has its own controls, so it conditions its own space rather than trying to feed a whole network of ducts.

Because refrigerant carries the heat instead of big ducts carrying air, the indoor units can be compact. Wall-mounted heads are the most common style, and ceiling cassettes and floor units are options when wall space is tight. Most come with a remote and several fan speeds.

Where it fits best

• Room additions and sunrooms that the existing system cannot reach.
• Garage conversions, bonus rooms and finished basements or attics.
• Older homes with hot water or electric baseboard heat and no ducts.
• Spaces that are always too hot or too cold compared with the rest of the house.

Advantages worth weighing

Because there are no ducts, there is no duct leakage or the heat loss that can come with running air through unconditioned spaces. Installation is usually less invasive than adding ducts, which matters when you have just paid for new drywall and paint. Each zone can be set independently, so an unused guest room does not need to be conditioned like the living room.

Ductless systems are also generally quiet indoors, and they provide heating and cooling from a single system. Cold Tri-Cities winters are worth mentioning to your contractor so the system chosen suits the way you plan to use it.

Things to plan for

The indoor unit is visible on the wall, so placement matters for looks as well as airflow. A large open space may need more than one indoor unit, and multiple rooms can connect to a single outdoor unit. Sizing is the important part. A unit that is too big cycles too often and a unit that is too small never catches up, so a proper load calculation should come first.

Think about the outdoor unit as well. It needs clearance for airflow, a spot where its sound will not bother a bedroom or a neighbor, and a route for the line set that does not cross a lot of finished wall. Condensate from the indoor unit also has to drain somewhere, usually outside through a small tube.

Working with an older home

Older homes often have plaster walls, cramped attics or finishes worth protecting. A mini split's small line set and single wall opening mean less demolition than running ducts, which can save the plaster and the paint you just finished. If the house has baseboard or hydronic heat you want to keep, ductless can add cooling and supplemental heat alongside it.

Choosing an installer

Ductless comfort depends on careful installation as much as good equipment. Air-Tech is a Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractor and serves Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and the surrounding communities. If you are planning a remodel, call (509) 392-2021 and ask whether ductless is right for your project.