How Does a Ductless Heat Pump/Air Conditioner Work?

Thinking of switching to a ductless heating and cooling system? We’ve got the info you need to help learn a bit more about how the system works, as well as the benefits. If you’re still on the fence, give us a call! We’d be more than happy to discuss your heating and cooling needs and lend our knowledge to help you make the best decision for your needs.  

 

A Quick History of Ductless Heating and Cooling Systems 

While ductless heating and cooling technology is often thought of as more modern technology, it has been employed in homes and businesses for decades. While its beginnings were seen more in Europe and Asia, ductless heating and cooling systems are becoming more common in Canadian homes because it is more economical and efficient than the traditional forced-air HVAC systems.  

How a Ductless Heat Pump/Air Conditioner Works 

 Let’s start with the basics – how does a ductless system work? To begin, a ductless system consists of two major components; the indoor head and the outdoor condensing unit. 

Indoor Head 

The indoor head, sometimes referred to as the indoor air handling unit is a wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted evaporator head which houses the evaporator coil, air circulation motor and filtration system. In a nutshell, it’s the part of the system that’s situated inside of your home that distributes the warmed or cooled air. 

The indoor heads come in many sizes and styles to fit your specific HVAC requirements. 

Unlike a central HVAC system, which will heat or cool an entire residence, ductless systems are most effective in the room they’re installed in. Zoning (by installing multiple heads where they’re needed) allows you to heat/cool a wider area and achieve a more consistent temperature throughout your home or business. 

 

Outdoor Condensing Unit 

An outdoor condensing unit contains the digital inverter compressor, condensing coil, and electronics which cycle the refrigerant throughout the system. As the name suggests, this part of the ductless heating system is installed outside of the home or business. 

The outdoor unit connects to the indoor unit with two refrigerant lines and a communication cable. In most instances, these connections can be made on the exterior of the building.  This avoids the need for cutting holes and having bulkheads in the interior of the building. 

These condensing units are available in multiple sizes from 12,000 BTU – 48,000 BTU and can be used with as little as one or as many as eight indoor heads. 

 

Benefits of Installing a Ductless Heat Pump/Air Conditioner 

The benefits of ductless are so vast we wrote an entire blog about it – but we’re happy to share some details here too.  

Ductless technology is perfect for older homes that may use electric baseboards or a central boiler for heating where running ductwork would prove to be difficult. They’re also great for additions, allowing you to heat and cool the addition without the added cost and hassle of running ductwork to it. 

Ductless heat pumps and air conditioners are also well suited to small condos or apartments that don’t have a central HVAC system. In these cases, a ductless system is a small, spacing-saving solution that provides quiet and efficient heating and cooling. Another major benefit is that a ductless type heat pump can offer an efficient heating and cooling solution without the requirement of having ductwork and a natural gas feed. 

Our premium line of Daikin ductless products features efficient inverter technology, which can be used in primary source heating requirements down to -40 degrees Celsius and high-demand cooling solutions in both cold and warm climates. 

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Whether retrofitting an existing home that lacks air conditioning or designing a new home from scratch, ductless heat pump and air conditioning technology can provide year-round comfort at a fraction of the operating cost of a traditional forced-air system. 

Contact Crystal today to get started with installing a ductless heating and cooling system for your home or business in Brantford, Hamilton and the surrounding areas.