Are you searching for a efficient, reasonably priced home comfort system? If electricity is the better or only solution available to you, a central heat pump or ductless mini-split could be perfect for your home. Both systems operate on electric power and run 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, read more about each HVAC system to help you settle on a make and model.
What Is a Heat Pump?
A heat pump is a kind of central climate control system. Unlike a furnace, which creates usable heat for the home by combusting a fuel source, a heat pump transfers heat from one place to another. In the winter, it extracts heat energy from the air outside and redirects it inside. Then, a built-in reversing valve allows it to perform 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 works on the same principle as a heat pump. Actually, it is a kind of heat pump — minus the ductwork. This is 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 is connected directly to an outdoor condensing unit through a small hole drilled in the wall. Several indoor units can connect with a single outdoor unit, providing whole-home comfort with no ductwork needed.
Making Your Decision
Here are the most important details to consider when choosing between a heat pump and a mini-split for your Fort Lauderdale home.
Ductwork & Installation
If your home is currently heated and cooled with a standard furnace and air conditioner, the necessary ductwork infrastructure is already in place. In this situation, installing a heat pump is potentially the more cost-effective choice.
On the other hand, if you live in an older home or have just made an addition, you might not have ductwork where you want climate control. In this case, adding a mini-split is much less involved and costs far less than installing in the ductwork required for a heat pump.
Unit Control
Heat pumps are managed very much like most other central heating and cooling systems: by setting 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 satisfied with regulating the temperature throughout the house using a single thermostat, zoning may not be needed. But you can maximize home comfort and reduce wasted energy by heating and cooling separate rooms independently.
Such ‘zoned’ temperature control can be integrated into a central heat pump system by setting up multiple thermostats and ductwork dampers. But it may be more straightforward and more cost-effective to install mini-splits in rooms with individual temperature needs, whether they’re heated and cooled by a central HVAC system or not.
Design Flexibility
Heat pumps don’t focus on flexibility. Instead, they can replace your existing furnace and air conditioner and offer whole-house comfort thanks to a network of air ducts.
Mini-splits have greater versatility for where you can put the unit. Homeowners can add one in a single room that you would otherwise find tricky to keep comfortable. You can mount one in a transformed garage or other home addition without new 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 affordable operation.
Energy Efficiency
Today’s heat pumps are more efficient than ever. There are even cold-climate versions available for a performance boost at low temperatures.
Even so, ductless mini-splits are basically more efficient because they don’t suffer the energy losses associated with leaky ductwork. An ordinary 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 likely to offer the same quantity of hot or cold air at a lower cost.
Appearance
Heat pumps look similar to central AC units. The outdoor cabinet is nearly indistinguishable, and the indoor air handler stays hidden within a utility closet or space in the basement.
By comparison, mini-splits are easy to view. The air handlers come in sleek jackets designed to be inconspicuous, but they are clearly visible in any room in which they are mounted on the wall or ceiling.
Schedule Heat Pump or Mini-Split Installation
No matter which system you decide is right for your home, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can accomplish the professional installation you want. Our service providers are ready to provide excellent products and services backed 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 office today.