What to Know About Ductless Mini Splits

Sponsored by Fujitsu

What is a Ductless Mini Split?

A ductless mini split HVAC system lets you control the individual temperature in each room. This means you don’t have to waste money cooling or heating spaces you’re not using—such as guest bedrooms, bonus rooms, sunrooms and basements. Ductless HVAC systems provide room-by-room, year-round comfort at a more reasonable price—without tearing up your walls. And Fujitsu’s new Wi-Fi enabled systems allow you to control it from anywhere.

How Does it Work?

Thin copper tubing is used to pump refrigerant from the outdoor compressor directly into an indoor air-handling unit, where the air is quietly distributed to the interior space. This eliminates the need for basement or attic evaporators and bulky, expensive ductwork. Mini splits are easy to install and usually require only a 3- to 4-inch hole through a wall or ceiling to connect the indoor and outdoor units.

The indoor units are small, quiet and far more energy efficient than window AC units. Fujitsu allows you to connect up to eight indoor units to a single outside unit.

Why Choose a Ductless Mini Split

A ductless mini split HVAC system is the best choice for converted spaces and add-on rooms.

A ductless mini split HVAC system provides more comfort in problem spaces

If your home wasn’t built with a zoned HVAC system, you probably have rooms that are too hot in the summer or cold in the winter. Cranking up your single-zone central AC system to cool a hot upstairs just turns the downstairs into a meat locker while sending your electric bill through the roof. In winter, you probably have the opposite problem; the thermostat keeps the main level comfortable but sends too much heat upstairs. No matter how you set the thermostat, somebody’s going to be uncomfortable.

Zoning is the answer. But retrofitting your existing forced air system to provide temperature control by floor level costs a fortune and requires major ductwork modifications. That’s where a ductless mini split system from Fujitsu makes sense.

Heating and cooling converted unfinished spaces and add-on rooms presents big HVAC challenges. Even if your existing HVAC system can handle the additional load, you’re still looking at some major modifications and huge costs to bring the heated and cooled air to the new spaces. For newer homes with forced air, you’ll need a new plenum, zone controller, damper and motor control, separate supply and return trunk, and individual branch and return ducts.

If your home has hot water or steam heat, you may get by with just new piping and a separate circulating pump. But that still leaves you with no AC in those spaces.

A ductless mini split system eliminates all that retrofit work and covers all your heating and cooling needs. Choose from wall-, floor- or ceiling-mounted room units; whichever works best in the new space.

Ductless mini splits are more energy efficient than ducted systems and window units

• Energy Efficient — Air ducts lose up to 30 percent in energy efficiency due to leaks and heat loss. That means ductless mini split systems offer greater efficiency simply because they don’t use ducts.
• Ductless mini split HVAC systems provide more comfort with room-by-room temperature control. That individual control eliminates hot and cold spots around your home.
• Room units are quieter than comparably sized window AC units. In addition to quieter fans, they eliminate noisy compressor cycling noise.
• Ductless mini split room units don’t obstruct window views. Choose from wall-, floor- and ceiling-mounted units—whichever style best fits your room layout.
• Indoor and outdoor units are permanent, so they eliminate the annual spring and fall window AC installation and removal ritual.
• Some Fujitsu ductless mini split systems deliver up to 33 SEER (Season Energy Efficiency Ratio). That’s 2.5 times greater than a 13 SEER central AC unit and 2.34 times more efficient than government minimum efficiency standards.
• Fujitsu’s Wi-Fi enabled systems allow you to control individual room temperatures from anywhere. You can cool down or heat up each room right from your smart phone, tablet or mobile device.
• Ductless mini split HVAC systems are great for refinishing basement areas, room add-ons, three-season porches and garages.

Getting Started With Professionals

If you think a ductless HVAC system will fit well in your home, consult with a professional or retailer to determine how big of a ductless HVAC system you need and the right amount of power you’ll need with a unit.

To learn more, visit fujitsugeneral.com.

— Rick Muscoplat, Contributing Editor

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fujitsu. The opinions and text are all mine, images are courtesy of Fujitsu.