Are you looking for a reliable, reasonably priced home comfort system? If electricity is the best or only choice available to you, a central heat pump or ductless mini-split could be a convenient option. Both systems function on electric power and run in heating and cooling modes for 365 days of comfort. So, is it a heat pump or mini-split for you? If you're still trying to decide, get the details about each HVAC system to help you make your mind up.
What Is a Heat Pump?
A heat pump is a kind of central climate control system. Compared with a furnace, which generates usable heat for the home by igniting a fuel source, a heat pump moves heat from one place to another. In the winter, it pulls out heat energy from the air outdoors and redirects it inside. Then, a built-in reversing valve will allow it to perform this process backward in the summer, working the same as an AC system to pull heat and humidity from indoor air and vent it outside.
What Is a Mini-Split?
A mini-split operates on the same principle as a heat pump. In fact, it is a kind of heat pump — but although they don’t use the ductwork. That’s why it’s called a “ductless” system. A mini-split can be a ceiling- or wall-mounted unit with a built-in air handler. This indoor equipment is connected directly to an outdoor condensing unit via a tiny hole drilled through the wall. Several indoor units can link up with a single outdoor unit, enabling whole-home comfort with no ductwork required.
Making Your Selection
Here are significant points to review when deciding between a heat pump and a mini-split for your Miami home.
Ductwork & Installation
If your home is currently heated and cooled with a traditional furnace and air conditioner, the needed ductwork infrastructure is already in place. So in this case, installing a heat pump is probably the more cost-effective solution.
That being said, if you live in an older home or have just completed a renovation, you may not have ductwork where you want climate control. In this case, installing a mini-split is much less complex and is more cost effective than adding in the ductwork required for a heat pump.
Unit Control
Heat pumps are managed identical to most other central heating and cooling systems: by setting a wall-mounted thermostat installed in a accessible location. On the other hand, ductless mini-splits use a remote that lets you control each wall-mounted unit from anywhere in the room.
Zoning
If you’re happy with adjusting the temperature throughout the house using a single thermostat, zoning may not be required. But you can maximize home comfort and conserve energy by heating and cooling separate rooms separately.
Such ‘zoned’ temperature control can be incorporated into a central heat pump system by using multiple thermostats and ductwork dampers. But it may be more straightforward and more cost-effective to install mini-splits in rooms with individual temperature requirements, whether they’re heated and cooled by a central HVAC system or not.
Design Versatility
Heat pumps don’t focus on flexibility. Instead, they can replace your existing furnace and air conditioner and deliver whole-house comfort with help from a network of air ducts.
Mini-splits have more options for where you can put the unit. You can add one in a single room that you would otherwise find challenging to keep comfortable. You could mount one in a transformed garage or other home addition without extending the ductwork. You can also install a mini-split air handler in each room, all hooked up to the outdoor condensing unit for affordable operation.
Energy Efficiency
Modern heat pumps are more efficient than ever. There are even cold-climate versions offered for a performance boost at low temperatures.
All the same, ductless mini-splits are generally more efficient because they don’t suffer the energy losses that come with leaky ductwork. A typical home wastes more than 20% of the air traveling through the ductwork to poor air sealing or a lack of insulation. This means that a mini-split is more likely to offer the same quantity of hot or cold air at a lower cost.
Appearance
Heat pumps look similar to central air conditioners. The outdoor cabinet is nearly indistinguishable, and the indoor air handler sits within a utility closet or space in the basement.
In contrast, mini-splits are easier to spot. The air handlers come in sleek jackets designed to be inconspicuous, but they are clearly visible in any room in which they are installed on the wall or ceiling.
Schedule Heat Pump or Mini-Split Installation
No matter which decision you make, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can perform the professional installation you are expecting. Our technicians are ready to provide excellent products and services supported 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.