Tradition can be good. There is comfort in familiarity and doing things together as a family year after year. But when tradition wastes your hard earned money… Is it still good? We’re talking about the differences between a traditional central heating and cooling system and a ductless mini-split ac heater system. In our last blog post GAMA Air began the discussion and now we’ll help our friends and neighbors in and around Beverly Hills, Culver City, Mar Vista, Miracle Mile, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Bel Air, Westwood, Downtown Los Angeles, Vernon, Huntington Park, Sherman Oaks, Encino with more details.
Why consider using a ductless or mini-split system? They have many advantages in energy savings. A traditional system that has a network of ducts to distribute the air will always have some type of energy loss. The cold air that is passing through the ducts will absorb some heat from the space it is routed through, regardless of how well insulated it is. And the same goes for when the system is in heating mode, but in reverse. Hot air moving through the ducts will lose some of the heat. That’s one case of unavoidable energy loss in a traditional split heating and cooling system. The second type of energy loss is air loss. Ducts will have or will get holes, cracks, and leaks. It is nearly impossible to get 100% of the air moving through the air handler to get to the rooms in a house. The older the system, the more air loss there will be.
And THAT is where ductless systems have the big advantage. Since they have no ducts, there is zero loss from coil to the room. It is direct heating or cooling. All the energy moving through the indoor unit is applied to cool or warm your house.
The other big advantage of a ductless mini-split system has to do with comfort. Think about how most homes heat and cool. There is a thermostat (with emphasis on “A”) probably in the hallway or living room. The central ac or heater turns on and off based on the temperature you set on that ONE thermostat. All the other rooms in the house get whatever cool or warm air that is being pushed out to all the rooms in the house. Even the best balanced ductworks, which may distribute the air through the ducts perfectly, can’t account for varied activities in all the rooms of the house. A traditional heating and cooling system is a single-zone system.
Ductless mini-split systems are better than that. One system can be installed to heat and cool only one room. Or you can install several systems so that each room or living space can be controlled independently. Or even better, a single mini-split heating and cooling system can be installed in the entire house with multiple rooms but with individual control of the comfort in each room.
Think of the huge savings that can generate. Take the example of having some friends over for the evening. Your activity will be concentrated in the dining room and living room. Your traditional air conditioner will run more to keep those rooms cool and comfortable. But all the other rooms in the house are also getting more of that expensive cool air even though nobody is in those rooms. That’s a waste of money! However, a mini-split system in that same situation would only run the units where there is a need, at a great savings.
And we could go on with more examples of the benefits of installing a ductless mini-split heating and cooling system in your home. But are there any disadvantages? Of course there are. No idea is perfect. And no idea works best in all situations. Come back soon for our next installment on this topic.
But in the meantime, if you want more details specifically for your home, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We can sit down with you and help analyze your particular needs and circumstances to offer the best fit. Call GAMA Air at (310) 651-6936 or use our online form to schedule a visit at a time convenient to you for a no-obligation quote. We guarantee your satisfaction 100%.
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