Saturday, January 24, 2009

The Pros and Cons of Ductless Air Conditioning

By Pat Lowe

The latest trend in home air conditioning is known as ductless air conditioning. Generally, this type of system has both an interior and exterior unit. The compressor unit is mounted near an exterior wall of the house. Two lines are run through the wall, which carry coolant to the indoor air handling units. Most systems feature more than one indoor unit, so you can place them in different areas of the house.

The most common reason for choosing ductless air conditioning is because of its energy efficiency. There's an easy explanation for this. A traditional duct system has to take the cold, heavy air down into the basement and then force it back up through the house. The evaporator unit in a ductless air conditioning system is mounted high up in the room, almost to the ceiling. So the cold air can make its way down through the house without being forced by a fan. You can save a lot of energy, and money, when gravity does the work.

With this type of air conditioning system, you can enjoy the benefits of more than one interior unit. This means that you can cool down only certain areas of the house as required. For instance, you can turn off the bedroom unit during the day. At the same time, your main living areas can still be kept comfortably cool. This move alone can cut your energy costs in half without even noticing the difference.

Because the cold air is distributed near the top of the room, you'll find that your floor doesn't get icy like it does with central air conditioning. Your room will also cool down much more quickly. That's because the temperature of the air being released from the ductless air conditioning unit is usually quite a bit colder than central.

You can also get some handy accessories for your ductless air conditioning unit. Some models act as an air purifier, while others can dehumidify the air without cooling it down. There are those that feature slats that oscillate in order to help move the air through a wider area. Some units can even give you heat in the cold weather.

However, there are some downsides to ductless air conditioning. Usually they're more expensive than other cooling methods, as much as 30 percent. As well, they have to be professionally installed. This is somewhat more complicated than central air conditioning, and much more involved than installing a window air conditioner.

After having weighed the pros and cons, you might discover that this kind of home air conditioning unit will work well for you. Many people find it more efficient, convenient and dependable. Plus, you'll usually find that the extra cost is recovered in a relatively short period of time through your energy savings.

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