Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Why Choose Ductless Air Conditioning?

By Gerald Beatty

The latest trend in home air conditioning is known as ductless air conditioning. Generally, this type of system has both an interior and exterior unit. The compressor unit is mounted near an exterior wall of the house. Two lines are run through the wall, which carry coolant to the indoor air handling units. Most systems feature more than one indoor unit, so you can place them in different areas of the house.

Most people will choose to go with ductless air conditioning because it can be much more energy efficient. The reason for this is simple. A traditional duct system has to take the cold, heavy air down into the basement and then force it back up through the house. A ductless system places the evaporator up high, usually just a few inches below the ceiling. This allows the cold air to move down naturally throughout the house without the need for a blower. You can save a lot of energy, and money, when gravity does the work.

Ductless air conditioning also allows for more than one unit to be located in your home. This means that you can cool down only certain areas of the house as required. For example, during the day you can turn off the unit that cools the bedrooms. At the same time, your main living areas can still be kept comfortably cool. This move alone can cut your energy costs in half without even noticing the difference.

Because the cold air is distributed near the top of the room, you'll find that your floor doesn't get icy like it does with central air conditioning. Your room will also cool down much more quickly. That's because the temperature of the air being released from the ductless air conditioning unit is usually quite a bit colder than central.

You can also get some handy accessories for your ductless air conditioning unit. Some models act as an air purifier, while others can dehumidify the air without cooling it down. There are those that feature slats that oscillate in order to help move the air through a wider area. Some units can even give you heat in the cold weather.

However, there are some downsides to ductless air conditioning. Usually they're more expensive than other cooling methods, as much as 30 percent. In addition, they most often need to be installed by a professional. This is somewhat more complicated than central air conditioning, and much more involved than installing a window air conditioner.

Overall, you might find that this is a good alternative to other forms of air conditioning. It's reliable and convenient. And over time you're likely to recover the added expense of this type of system. - 15485

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