Tips on Choosing the Right Room to Install Your Ductless Air Conditioner
For some household appliances, choosing their location is fairly simple and requires little to no extra thought. You obviously want your television in the living room or primary area where you gather and socialize. Cooking appliances such as an oven and refrigerator belong in the kitchen, and your desk and computer belong in your home office where you retreat to work and focus without distraction. One appliance that requires more placement thought is your ductless air conditioner. Ductless air conditioners work wonders in heating and cooling your home, but there are many varying factors when considering their location. A ductless air conditioner has a variety of unique benefits for each room in your home, so deciding where to install one is no easy task. Luckily, ComfortUp has a team of product specialists ready to help! Read below to learn more about choosing the right room for your ductless air conditioner.
What Are Ductless Air Conditioners?
Ductless air conditioners are not a “new” technology by any means, but their popularity has increased recently in the United States. They are the norm in most of Europe and Asia because they have a variety of benefits relative to their alternatives of central ducted systems. The main components of ductless air conditioners are the outdoor compressor, an indoor air-handling unit, and a remote control or thermostat. A system of two copper tubes called the suction line and liquid line connects the indoor and outdoor parts. They transport a liquid cooling substance called refrigerant throughout the entire system, which is responsible for soaking in and releasing hot or cold air. One of the main reasons ductless air conditioners are so appealing is their efficiency. During the operation of a conventional ducted HVAC system, around 25% of the energy used is lost somewhere in the ducts. Ductless mini splits allow you to get the most out of your system by eliminating this waste of energy. This high level of efficiency is also directly related to lower energy costs for your home and a reduced carbon footprint. These air conditioners operate at around 19 decibels, making them quieter than the sound of rustling leaves. In addition to heating and cooling your home, they also act as air purifiers by removing allergens, dust, and dirt from your home.
In turn, this eliminates the potential for any mold or mildew growth. Many ductless air conditioners also utilize state of the art technology such as sensors and smartphone applications. The sensors detect when you enter and exit the room and instructs the mini split to act accordingly. By turning off when you leave and on when you enter, you increase efficiency and reduce waste since the system is not operating while nobody is in the room. With smartphone application compatibility, you can control the temperature of the room from your phone instead of getting up and walking to the thermostat! Finally, they have a very simple installation and maintenance process. At ComfortUp, we only carry the highest quality products from the industry standard brand names. Gree, Mitsubishi, LG, TempBlue, and Boreal all offer top of the line ductless air conditioners differing in their air flow, warranties, and sound pressure, among other qualities. Each brand and model also has varying SEER, EER, and HSPF capabilities.
Room Size and BTUs
One of the first things to consider when choosing the right room for your ductless air conditioner is the size of the room. The size of air conditioners is expressed in tons or expressed in British Thermal Units (BTUs). A ton refers to the amount of heat that an air conditioner can remove from a space in a given hour, and a BTU is a measurement of heat. One ton is equal to 12,000 BTUs, meaning that a one-ton air conditioner can remove an amount of heat equal to 12,000 BTUs from a room over the course of one hour. Ductless air conditioners are constructed for rooms of a specific size, and an improperly placed air conditioner does not operate anywhere near peak efficiency and capacity. An undersized air conditioner cannot come close to heating the entire room, resulting in permanent discomfort for any of its occupants. One problem caused by an oversized air conditioner is called short cycling. In a short cycle, the air conditioner turns itself on, blows out a blast of air, and quickly shuts itself off. This cycle continues because your air conditioner is trying to maintain the temperature specified by the thermostat. Short cycling leads to immediate discomfort in the room because it is not sufficiently removing the humidity from the air.
This can also be terrible for your air conditioner, as there is excessive stress from repeatedly stopping and starting. It also decreases the efficiency of your system, which, in turn, increases the energy costs in your home. When deciding on the right room for your ductless air conditioner, please refer to this mini split sizing guide. In addition to the room size, you should also consider how many rooms you want to heat and cool through a ductless air conditioner.
Single vs. Multi Zone Heating and Cooling
One of the many benefits of ductless air conditioners is their innovative single and multi zone technology. Single zone heating uses a 1:1 configuration, which means that there is one outdoor unit connected to one indoor unit. This means that the only room heated or cooled by the ductless air conditioner is the room where the indoor unit is physically located. On the contrary, multi zone heating uses one outdoor unit connected to more than one indoor unit. The outdoor unit can be connected up to eight indoor units, meaning you can heat up to eight different rooms. The main differences between single and multi zone technologies are in the cost and installation. Since there are more units and components required to heat and cool multiple rooms, multi zones have a much more costly and time-consuming installation process. To decide on the right rooms to install your ductless air conditioner, you must first decide which rooms need air conditioning. If there is only one room, you can opt for single zone heating and cooling. With multiple rooms, you can opt for multi zone technologies. Regardless of the room(s) you choose, a ductless mini split is the perfect choice. Read below to learn more about ductless mini splits in various household rooms!
Ductless Air Conditioners in Your Living Room
It makes perfect sense to install a ductless air conditioner in your living room because it is often the primary area to gather and socialize in your home. When you have guests over, the temperature of the room rises naturally due to the increased amount of transferable body heat. A ductless air conditioner helps offset this and provides cool air to the entire room, ensuring that everybody remains comfortable.
One of the few cons of ductless air conditioners is they sometimes clash with the desired aesthetic of the room. This might be a concern in your living room since it is most likely meticulously decorated. However, there are many options of different styles, so you can choose the best design to match your preferences!
Ductless Air Conditioners in Your Bedroom
Eight hours is the recommended amount of sleep to maintain good physical health. If you spend at least one third of the day in your bedroom, you want to have complete control over the temperature and your level of comfort. Therefore, your bedroom is another optimal location to install your ductless air conditioner. Some people prefer to sleep with the temperatures a bit hotter or cooler than the rest of their house, and ductless air conditioners allow you to set the temperature at whatever you prefer. If you are of older age or have a young child, we strongly recommend installing a ductless air conditioner in the bedroom. It is important for young children and seniors to sleep in a cooler temperature, especially in the hot summers. You could use a multi zone system to control the temperature in a bedroom without impacting the rest of the house!
Ductless Air Conditioners in Your Basement
A ductless system is the perfect air conditioner for your basement, as it is arguably the hardest room in your house to heat and cool adequately. The changing weather conditions outside, location below ground, humidity level, and insulation in your basement often lead to a temperature imbalance. Most basements are naturally colder because of the concrete foundation and insulation, but poor ventilation leads to a noticeable temperature increase. Due to their dark location and moisture, basements are an ideal breeding ground for mold and mildew. A ductless air conditioner significantly reduces their potential for growth by eliminating moisture, decreasing the humidity level, and increasing the overall air quality. Ductless air conditioners are also perfect for your basement if your home has an already existing ducted HVAC system. Extending the ductwork into the basement is a difficult, costly, and time-consuming process. Luckily, ductless air conditioners have an easy installation process, and your basement will be comfortable in no time!
Ductless Air Conditioners in Your Attic
Ductless mini splits are the best way to heat and cool your attic. In the past, attics have been used primarily for storage, but a new fad is sweeping the nation; attics are now being renovated and finished into living spaces. Your attic can become very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. With this extreme temperature fluctuation, a mini split is the perfect air conditioner because of its heating and cooling capabilities. Mini splits do not take up much space, which is ideal for an attic that could be tight on space.
Ductless Air Conditioners in Your Home Office
Your home office is another perfect room to install a ductless air conditioner. More and more people opt to work remotely from home, and you need to be comfortable while doing so. Working in a comfortable temperature and environment leads to more productivity and intellectual stimulation. Ductless mini splits also help protect the valuables in your office. Many people store valuables such as documents in their home office to protect them from moisture, humidity, and mold. With a ductless mini split acting as an air purifier, your valuables will be safe from harm!
Ductless Air Conditioners in Your Sunroom
Sunrooms are difficult to adequately heat and cool, which is why a ductless mini split is a great option. Sunrooms are typically three-walled structures connected to the main part of the house and feature large glass windows for a view of the yard or outdoor area. During the summer, the glass allows a large amount of sunlight in, which naturally increases the temperature. The windows are also not ideal insulators, meaning the sunroom gets very cold in the winter.
The temperature volatility of a sunroom is negated by a ductless air conditioner. They are an excellent source of heat during the winter and cool air during the summer. Additionally, sunrooms are often home additions, meaning they are not included on the path of your already existing ducted HVAC system. This is no problem for a ductless mini split since they do not require any ducts! With this helpful guide, you’re now ready to decide in which room, or rooms, to install your ductless air conditioner! If you have any questions about ductless air conditioners, please contact our friendly product specialists at ComfortUp.
