Ductless air conditioners have two units one placed indoors and the other placed outside.
The two units are connected through simple copper tubing and electrical wiring. The condenser coil and the compressor in the outdoor unit pump the refrigerant through the tubing to the indoor unit.
This refrigerant cools the evaporator coil and a fan in the indoor unit distributes the air cooled by passing over the evaporator coil in the room.
The primary components of a ductless air conditioner are :
- The Outdoor Unit: Comprises of the condensing unit and the compressor and is places outside
- The Conduit: It houses the copper tubes, electrical wires and refrigerant lines that connect the out and indoor unit.
- The Indoor unit: This unit houses the air handler and a fan. It is usually available in a range of shapes and sizes and can be wall or ceiling mounted.
- A Remote Control: A wireless remote control is used to operate the system.
Installation
The unit will have to be installed by a certified HVAC professional. You will need a fairly small opening just 2-3 inches to accommodate the conduit. The professional will run the copper tubes for the refrigerant, the drainage lines and the electrical wiring. He will also power the unit with the right amount of refrigerant which in this case is usually environment friendly freon.
However, the entire installation procedure can cost anywhere between $2000-$5000 for an 800-1000 square foot home. The installation of a complete ductless split air system in a 2000 square foot home can set you back by as much as $5000 to $7000
Even though the installation cost is fairly steep, the units are still very popular because the installation is cheaper and hassle free as compared to the central air conditioning units. They also require less space.
Zonal Control
Another benefit associated with the dustless split air conditioning systems is zonal control. This means that if you buy a two zone unit which will have two air handlers (indoor units) each one of them will have its own thermostat and can be controlled independently from the other.
This amounts to substantial energy and operating cost savings. Most central air conditioning systems don’t have this feature because they have a single out door unit that supplies the refrigerant to a single indoor unit where the air is cooled and sent to the various outlets through ducts. Also central air conditioner system ducts take a lot more space. The ductless split systems are substantially cheaper than central air conditioning units.
However they are more expensive than the window or wall mounted air conditioners. But their features give them an edge over here as well. Most window units are very noisy and since they have to be mounted on the wall you need to either create a special opening for them or buy a unit that fits into an existing opening.
The units are bulky and the large opening may often pose a security hazard. A ductless air conditioning system is almost silent since the compressor and condenser and placed outside. Also the opening needed is very small so they are considerably safer. You have various mounting options for the indoor units which can be mounted on the wall or ceiling or can even be suspended from the ceiling. They are designed to blend with the decor of most houses and are significantly smaller than the window units.
Also in terms of electricity consumption, most ductless air conditioners are far more energy efficient than the window mounted or central air conditioners
So, it can be safely suggested that even though ductless air conditioning systems have their own pros and cons they are better than any of the other air conditioning solutions in the market.
