Have you heard of ductless air conditioning systems? While they can cool spaces in your home, they don’t feature the same design as their central counterparts.
Central air conditioning systems have a network of ducts through which conditioned air, as well as the unconditioned air, flows as it moves through your home. Ductless air conditioning systems, on the other hand, don’t have any air ducts. They feature an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, the former of which will blow conditioned air into your home. Below are the pros of cons of using a ductless air conditioning system.
Pro: Inexpensive
Without any air ducts, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that ductless air conditioning systems are inexpensive. Some of them are available for as little as $1,000 excluding the cost of installation. Central air conditioning systems are larger and more complex, and with air ducts, they typically cost more than ductless air conditioning systems.
Pro: Low Maintenance
Another benefit of using a ductless air conditioning system is low maintenance. They still have an air filter, which you’ll need to replace. But ductless air conditioning systems don’t contain any air ducts. Therefore, you won’t have to worry about scheduling duct cleaning services.
Con: Requires Professional Installation
Unlike window air conditioning systems, ductless air conditioning systems require professional installation. This is due to the fact that ductless air conditioning systems have refrigerant lines. A heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) technician must cut copper lines for the refrigerant, and he or she must charge the ductless air conditioning system.
Con: Single-Room Cooling
Ductless air conditioning systems are typically only capable of cooling a single room. You can’t use a ductless air conditioning system to cool your entire home. Rather, it will only cool the room in which the indoor unit is placed. If you only need your bedroom cooled, you can install the indoor unit in your bedroom. For house-wide cooling, however, there’s no substitution for a central air conditioning system.
Con: Aesthetics
Ductless air conditioning systems tend to stick out in the room where they are used. They feature a relatively large and bulky indoor unit that must be installed on the wall. For a cleaner and more aesthetically appearance, you may want to choose a central air conditioning system, instead. Central air conditioning systems still have an indoor unit, but the indoor unit – the evaporator coil – is typically hidden in the attic or basement.