Rocky Mountain Comfort: Choosing The Right HVAC System For Your Colorado Home
Covering the entire Longmont region, M and M has over eighteen years of experience in both residential and commercial HVAC installation. Family-operated, we have been keeping your family comfortable with temperature control by installing top-quality ductless HVAC systems.
But what exactly are ductless HVAC systems? How do they work? And are they more suitable for your needs than their ducted counterparts?
This article explores everything you need to know about ductless HVAC systems so you can choose the right heating and cooling machine for your Colorado home.
What Are HVAC Systems? How Are They Different From Standard Air Conditioning?
HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Unlike standard air conditioning, HVAC systems are responsible for both cooling and heating your space and are also a source of adequate ventilation.
This ventilation allows moisture to escape, lowering the humidity inside your home. HVAC systems come in all different shapes and sizes, allowing you to tailor your choice to your space’s requirements and priorities.
What Are Ductless HVAC Systems?
With so many choices out there to suit your needs, the first decision you will need to make is whether to choose ductless HVAC systems, also known as ductless mini-split or ductless multi-split, or a ducted system.
The purpose of a ducted and a ductless HVAC are the same: they increase or decrease the temperature based on preferential settings. Ductless ones, as so accurately named, do so without ducts. Individual units are attached together via a refrigerant line, which leads to a single outdoor condensing unit.
A key difference between the two is that ductless HVAC systems are designed to control the temperature within a specific room or space rather than an entire home. Ductless HVAC systems are a fantastic choice to enhance your Colorado home.
Enjoy your sunroom or garage all year round with independent temperature control when installing a ductless HVAC system.
How Do Ductless HVAC Systems Work?
Ductless HVAC systems work by circulating refrigerant via a set-up line. This line is then connected to one (or more, depending on the size) inside air handlers.
These air handlers are ordinarily configured on an inside wall, which collects and pushes out cooler or warmer air into the space. Then, this air travels back to the outside condensing unit. The refrigerant is compressed and then makes its way back to the inside unit(s). This cycle continues when in operation.
This shift of heat from inside to outside is what helps keep your space at the requested temperature levels.
How Do Ducted HVAC Systems Work?
Named “central” air conditioning, ducted HVAC systems are usually one air handling unit. This unit then sends warmed or cooled air out into the entire building rather than one room or space.
The single air handling unit is either set up with or attached to one outside unit via refrigerant lines.
The fan inside the air handling unit circulates the air through the installed ducts inside the building. Through the intake vent, it draws in air, which is then returned to every room in the building through the registers. This single unit heats and cools the entire building at once.
Ductless vs Ducted HVAC Systems: Which Is The Right Fit For Your Household?
If you are searching for an HVAC system, going ductless is a fantastic option for many homeowners. Consider installing a ductless HVAC system if any or all of the following are true:
1.Your Ceilings Are High, Or You Have Limited Space
If your home has high ceilings or limited space, a ductless HVAC system is a smart choice. Creating more space to accommodate a ducted HVAC system is a far more costly option than opting for its ductless counterpart.
2. You Are Expanding The Space In Your Existing Room
If you are planning to expand your Colorado home, a ductless HVAC system will likely be a better choice. For example, if you are building a sunroom or garage, a ducted HVAC requires further work to install ducts that your system can connect to.
This extra work is costly to both your wallet and your time, and you may not be ready for the extremes of weather in summer and winter.
In addition, your ducted HVAC system might not have the physical capacity to warm or cool this new and additional space. If you don’t plan to replace your existing HVAC anytime soon but still prioritize temperature control for your extended space, ductless HVAC is a fantastic option.
3. You Prioritize Reduced Dust And Improved Indoor Air Quality
One disadvantage of ducted HVAC systems is that, by design, they collect and exhale dust into your home. This lessens the quality of air inside your living space, which is harmful to your household’s health.
On the other hand, ductless HVAC systems actually lower indoor dust levels. Dust cannot pass through the ductwork (as there is none to pass through) and into your home, making them a far healthier choice for you and your family.
With dust being one of the core elements contributing to indoor pollution (which is five times more harmful than outside pollution,) if you or any members of your household suffer from allergies or respiratory issues, a ductless HVAC system will improve air quality and, therefore, unwanted side effects.
4. You Would Like to Control The Temperature In Different Rooms or Areas At The Same Time
With ductless HVAC systems, each room has a different air handler, which allows you to control the temperature of each room according to your wishes. This is known as “zoning.”
Say, for example, Granny is coming to stay. She prefers a warmer room at bedtime, whereas you prefer sleeping in a cold room. Granny is welcome to increase the temperature while she dozes off, and you can switch on the air conditioning. Both parties end up with a comfortable night’s sleep, and everyone is happy.
With a ducted HVAC system, either Granny’s comfort levels or your own will be compromised, as the system controls the temperature throughout the home rather than in a single room or space. Ductless HVAC systems are a great option for homeowners who share with others or work spaces where people are comfortable in different temperatures.
You may find, too, that different spaces and rooms inside your home reach different temperatures. Your sunroom, for example, may get extremely hot in the summer, but your living room, which is more shaded, does not. In this case, ductless HVAC systems allow everyone’s comfort, no matter which room they are spending time in.
Due to ductless HVAC systems working specifically for one room or area, it is a far more personal approach to temperature control.
5. You Are Energy-Bill Conscious
A huge plus of ductless HVAC systems is that they consume less energy. This is beneficial to the environment, and your monthly energy bills will reflect it, too.
If you have a spare bedroom that is not in use, a ductless HVAC system will not require you to adjust the temperature. While sleeping on a hot evening, for example, you need only cool down the temperature of the rooms you’re actively using.
Furthermore, with ducted HVAC systems, energy is often leaked through the ducts, no matter how expertly installed. In fact, when cooling your home, as the cooled air makes its way through the ducts, 20 – 30% of the energy used to reduce the temperature is wasted by passing through the ductwork.
On the other hand, ductless HVAC systems do not leak energy. Because heat does not need to travel through ducts or pick up during this journey, performance is quicker, more effective, and cheaper to run in the long term.
The customizable approach to temperature control in different rooms is great for both comfort and finances.
When To Choose Ducted HVAC Systems
If ductless HVAC systems do not suit your needs, a ducted HVAC system may be the right choice. Ordinarily, ducted HVAC systems are suitable if:
You already have ductwork installed in your space. This ductwork should be in pristine condition before installing your HVAC system.
You are looking for a more discrete heating and air conditioning system
You live somewhere that is extremely humid.
Note: While ducted HVAC systems do remove more moisture, they also increase dust levels (therefore reducing your home’s indoor air quality).
Go Ductless With M and M Today!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb0UgFisz1E
If, after assessing your household’s unique needs and desires, you have decided that ductless HVAC systems are better suited for you, let M and M install and maintain your new system.
With no messy renovation and an utterly non-intrusive approach, M and M can usually install your ductless HVAC system in Longmont within a single day, ensuring comfort as quickly as possible without skipping the details.
Whether you are installing ductless HVAC systems in one, two, or ten rooms, we are here to set up your machine swiftly and expertly.
So, embark upon a life with customizable temperature control today and get in touch today!
