How Ductless Heating (And Cooling) Saves Money

It’s midwinter, and you’re debating replacing your old heating system with a new one. Or you’re considering a new house construction or remodeling in the coming spring. We recommend you think about having a ductless heating system installed, i.e. a ductless mini split heat pump.

There are multiple reasons to look into ductless systems, such as the improvements in indoor air quality and the flexibility they offer for homes. One benefit that’s often overlooked is the savings a household can enjoy thanks to a ductless heating system. Compared to standard forced-air systems like a furnace, a ductless mini split heat pump can save 30–40% off energy costs.

Below are some of the ways you’ll recoup the costs on a ductless heating installation—and then keep on saving:

Heating and cooling in one system

Ductless heating is also ductless cooling. Like conventional heat pumps, a ductless system works by circulating refrigerant between sets of indoor and outdoor coils, moving heat from one place to another. You only have to make an adjustment to your ductless system to flip the direction of the heat transfer, changing a heating system to a cooling one and vice versa. No need to purchase two units for comfort! That’s savings from the start.

Efficient heating and cooling distribution

A forced-air system with ducts uses around 30% of its energy just trying to force heated or cooled air through the wide ducts. It consumes a great deal of energy to power the air to all the rooms. But a ductless system only requires smaller fans in each of the air handlers to send heated and cooled air directly into the rooms.

Only heat and cool spaces that need it (zone control)

Most forced-air furnaces, AC, and heat pumps work on an all-or-nothing basis. Either all the rooms attached to the ventilation system received the conditioned air or none of them do. This wastes energy controlling temperatures in rooms when nobody is in them. With a ductless system, you can have up to eight separate zones (one for each of the individual air handlers) that can operate separate from each other. Only heat or cool the rooms that need it—and save money!

No air loss through leaky ducts

Ductwork often develops air leaks over time, allowing air that’s already been heated or cooled to escape. This leads to large waste and needs professional repairs to fix. A ductless system obviously doesn’t have this problem, since there are no ducts!

You won’t automatically get all of these benefits when you have a ductless mini split installed. It takes smart use of the system to get the most out of it. It also takes professionals to install the ductless heating and cooling and care for it in the future.

Whatever your Durham, NC heating needs are—from installing a new heater to fast repairs to warm your home again—you can depend on our HVAC professionals. We have more to offer your home, including plumbing and indoor air quality work.

Bud Matthews Services is here for all your home service needs in Durham, NC.