Guide to Mini-Splits vs. Heat Pumps
Are you looking for a reliable, budget-friendly home comfort system? If electricity is the best or only solution available to you, a central heat pump or ductless mini-split could be perfect for your home. Both systems run on electric power and operate in heating and cooling modes for year-round comfort. So, is it a heat pump or mini-split for you? If you’re still trying to decide, get the details about each HVAC system to help you settle on a make and model.
What Is a Heat Pump?
A heat pump is a type of central climate control system. Different from a furnace, which creates usable heat for the home by burning a fuel source, a heat pump redirects heat from one place to another. In the winter, it draws heat energy from the air outdoors and deposits it inside. Then, a built-in reversing valve enables it to complete this process backward in the summer, working the same as an air conditioner to remove heat and humidity from indoor air and vent it outside.
What Is a Mini-Split?
A mini-split operates on the same principle as a heat pump. In fact, it is a kind of heat pump — but although they don’t use the ductwork. That’s why it’s called a “ductless” system. A mini-split could be a ceiling- or wall-mounted unit with a built-in air handler. This indoor component links directly to an outdoor condensing unit via a tiny hole drilled in the wall. Various indoor units can link up with a single outdoor unit, enabling whole-home comfort with no ductwork required.
Making Your Choice
These are significant details to think about when choosing between a heat pump and a mini-split for your the U.S. home.
Ductwork & Installation
If your home is currently heated and cooled with a conventional furnace and AC unit, the needed ductwork infrastructure is already in place. So in this case, installing a heat pump is probably the more practical option.
That being said, if you live in an older home or have just made an addition, you might not have ductwork in reach. In this case, getting a mini-split is much less complicated and is more affordable than adding in the ductwork required for a heat pump.
Unit Control
Heat pumps are managed the same as most other central heating and cooling systems: by using a wall-mounted thermostat installed in a central location. On the other hand, ductless mini-splits have a remote that lets you operate each wall-mounted unit from anywhere in the room.
Zoning
If you’re happy with adjusting the temperature throughout the house using a single thermostat, home zoning may not be needed. If it is, you can improve home comfort and conserve energy by heating and cooling separate rooms separately.
Such ‘zoned’ temperature control can be incorporated into a central heat pump system by setting up multiple thermostats and ductwork dampers. But it may be simpler and more cost-effective to install mini-splits in rooms with distinct temperature demands, whether they’re heated and cooled by a central HVAC system or not.
Design Versatility
Heat pumps don’t prioritize flexibility. Instead, they can replace your existing furnace and air conditioner and supply whole-house comfort with help from a network of air ducts.
Mini-splits have more choices for where you can put the unit. You can add one in a single room that you would otherwise find difficult to keep comfortable. You could mount one in a modified garage or other home addition without adding more ductwork. You can also equip the entire home with a mini-split air handler in each room, all connected to the outdoor condensing unit for cost-effective operation.
Energy Efficiency
New heat pumps are more efficient than ever. There are even cold-climate versions available for a performance boost at low temperatures.
Regardless, ductless mini-splits are basically more efficient because they don’t suffer the energy losses that come with leaky ductwork. A typical home wastes more than 20% of the air traveling through the ductwork to spotty air sealing or a lack of insulation. This means that a mini-split is more likely to supply the same quantity of hot or cold air at a lower cost.
Appearance
Heat pumps look almost identical to central air conditioning units. The outdoor cabinet is nearly indistinguishable, and the indoor air handler within a utility closet or somewhere in the basement.
On the other hand, mini-splits are more noticeable. The air handlers come in sleek jackets designed to be inconspicuous, but they are clearly visible in any room in which they are positioned on the wall or ceiling.
Schedule Heat Pump or Mini-Split Installation
No matter which decision you make, Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing can complete the professional installation you expect. Our specialists are ready to bring excellent products and services supported by our one-year 100% satisfaction guarantee. To ask more questions about heat pumps vs. mini-splits or request an installation estimate, please contact your nearby Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing office today.
