Having to decide which way to go when it comes making your home comfortable? We look at the pros and cons of traditional air conditioning verses newer ductless technology, in several categories. Enjoy this latest infographic from Bob Jenson Air Conditioning:
Every summer, air conditioning systems are an essential source of comfort for many homeowners. They allow us to chase away the heat with clean, fresh air when necessary, and freshen the atmosphere of a house. When you choose which air conditioning system to install in your property, you’re going to need to make an important choice: Do you go ductless, or stay traditional?
Ducted air conditioning systems and non-ducted systems, or “mini-splits,” are the most popular options for central air. Though their names outline their key differences, the positives and negatives between ducted and split systems aren’t always obvious. With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at your options in greater depth to help you choose an air conditioning solution that’s both efficient and cost-effective.
Duct or ducted air conditioners work using a series of ducts to move air to vents in areas throughout the house. These systems include a central fan coil unit that moves cooled air from a single location. Here are some of the key benefits of duct systems:
Unfortunately, a ducted system won’t be the right choice for everyone. Installing ducted air conditioning in a new house can require a great deal of work and expense, which means that people in established homes without ducts might prefer to look elsewhere. Additionally, ducted systems can be more conducive to allergy problems, as dust can sometimes gather in the ducts and be transported around the home. Some common problems of duct systems include:
Highly efficient solutions for temperature management within a home, “ductless” heating and cooling systems often include a combination of an outside compressor and numerous wall-mounted units. Ductless systems are far more customizable for modern homeowners, and substantially more efficient than traditional ducting options. Here are some of the biggest benefits of ductless systems:
Perhaps the biggest consideration with ductless systems is that they require consistent maintenance to keep them performing at their best. Ductless filters and fans can easily accumulate debris that leads to poor air quality within the home, and can shorten the life of a system. It’s a good idea to purchase a maintenance plan with your system if your looking to keep it in top condition without any hassle. Other things to weight with ductless systems include:
Ultimately, both ductless systems, and ducted systems offer their own share of positive and negative features. The truth is that the decision of which option is right for you will be a personal one, based on your own unique requirements. If you want to cool your entire home and you aren’t worried about energy efficiency, then a ducted system might be fine for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking for cost-efficiency, and you can manage the ongoing maintenance, a ductless system may be more appealing.
No matter which option you choose, make sure that you invest in professional installation and management from an experienced, professional team. The team at Bob Jenson Air Conditioning & Heating has been working on HVAC systems all all kinds in San Diego County for 40 years. Get in touch with us today for help with your system.
Comfort doesn’t come cheap. Trying to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter is expensive – even in relatively moderate climates, like San Diego. Across the U.S., heating and cooling represents about half of the average homeowner’s utility bill.
So, why would anyone ignore opportunities to save on their energy bills?
The answer is simple: many people aren’t aware of all the cost-effective opportunities available. The option to install a ductless system, for instance, is often overlooked — despite the fact that it can bring significant savings on cooling and heating.
Here are four of the best reasons to invest in ductless heating and cooling technology in your home or office.
Ductless heating and cooling systems operate by using less power overall, significantly cutting the monthly energy bill. Property residents also benefit from the ability to personalize the perfect temperature for each zone of the house, depending on your needs and preferences. This unique feature ensures that energy isn’t wasted in an unoccupied room of your home — further lowering your bill each month.
Saving money is a worthwhile perk — but how many home improvements allow you to save money and improve your planet at the same time? Going “green” has a reputation for being the more costly option, but that’s not true in every case. Ductless heating and cooling systems enable both financial and environmental benefits, by using significantly less energy than traditional HVAC systems. These innovative mini-split designs are manufactured to reduce the effects of HVAC systems on the environment, through a zero-ozone depleting refrigerant called R410A. And because they take up very little space — often as much as the average microwave — ductless air conditioning allows homeowners to vastly increase their energy efficiency.
Ductless heating and cooling systems keep your indoor air fresh and void of irritants. Clean indoor air isn’t just vital for people suffering from nasal allergens, but for the overall health of yourself and your family. These revolutionary ductless mini-split systems offer multi-stage filtration — stopping dust, dander, bacteria and pollen from invading your precious indoor airspace. Ductless systems also give individuals control over the temperature of a certain room, allowing for customization of air flow that isn’t possible with traditional HVAC systems.
While traditional duct system installations are incredibly disruptive, installing a ductless mini-split system is a much easier and smoother process. Basic ductless systems can be installed in a matter of hours, instead of taking an entire day. Instead of making space for heavy duty space-hogging hardware, installation for ductless vents simply requires drilling a few holes in the existing architecture of your home. Despite its ease of installation relative to a traditional duct system, it’s still wise to have an expert do the work for you, to ensure it’s done right. Find an HVAC technician who knows the ropes and can quickly and efficiently get your system up and running.
A ductless air conditioning system really is the complete package: energy efficient, cost effective, health restorative, and easy to install. By switching to energy-efficient ductless cooling and heating vents, you can take control of your energy consumption — and keep more money in your wallet each month.
When most people hear the brand name “Fujitsu”, they think about computers, laptops, and communications devices. However, the truth is that Fujitsu, as a company, have a place within many different industries, from laboratories, to consulting, to semi-conductors. The Fujitsu General Corporation is a part of the Fujitsu group – a brand known across the world for developing some of the most significant electronic and engineering innovations ever produced. Ever since 1936 (when they were founded), the operations of Fujitsu General have developed into a thriving network across the globe.
Fujitsu General are now a leading provider of reliable and innovative products that pervade many aspects of most people’s daily lives – typically in ways that people don’t expect. While you’re checking your email on your Fujitsu laptop, you may not have been aware that the same company is supplying your air conditioning. Fujitsu have been creating air conditioning units for around four decades – prompted by a dedication to provide practical solutions for their customers’ needs.
A basic policy to deliver a comfortable atmosphere using environmentally friendly and high-quality products drives the Fujitsu General organization forward – allowing them to utilize years of creativity and technology in the development of new consumer solutions. When it comes to superior air conditioning, Fujitsu have established themselves as reliable manufacturers of energy-efficient mini-split ductless cooling and heating systems for both light commercial and residential applications. The brand currently offers the most efficient mini-split option in the world, in the form of the System 9RLS3H, which offers a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating of 33.0. The minimum SEER rating permitted by the government comes in at around 14.0.
A frequent misconception harbored about Ductless mini-splits is that they are only sufficient for “add-on” cooling and heating, or “spot cooling”. However, Fujitsu provide multi-zone adjusted systems that can cool or heat up to eight rooms at once – ensuring comfort throughout the entire house or property.
One of the useful things about the Fujitsu mini-split systems is that, unlike conventional HVAC systems, Fujitsu halcyon systems outdoor condenser and compressor have a slim footprint and are far quieter, many times virtually silent. These mini-splits reduce requirements for large evaporator coils and complicated ductwork through the utilization of slim indoor units which condition the air right within the room. This advantage allows each room to have its own remote thermostat to separately control its temperature. With Fujitsu Ductless Mini-Splits you can have truly balanced comfort in any home. Mini-Split systems are available in a wide variety of different options, including:
For almost forty years, Fujitsu have been manufacturing air conditioning devices and ductless mini-splits with the aim of making the world a more comfortable place. If you’re seeking to control several indoor units with a singular outdoor unit in the form of a multi-split system, Fujitsu allow you to develop and build the system that is most beneficial to your specific needs – you can even mix and match options to create your own unique cooling solution. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a system that saves energy and protects the environment, you can look into the Fujitsu split systems.
Whatever your cooling or heating requirements might be, Fujitsu General offers a wide collection of products that are comfortable within any home or lifestyle. All that remains is choosing the option that appeals most to you. So what are you waiting for? Why not find out whether a mini-split system, or multi-split system by Fujitsu is right for you?
There are many cooling options to choose for your home, but really, which one is right for you? We cover some of those options and share the benefits and also things to consider before purchasing. Check out our latest infographic!
In the last article we took a look at the basic function and setup of ductless mini splits along with some of the features that make these systems energy efficient. Let’s take a look at some other benefits of owning a ductless system.
For the average homeowner, heating and cooling costs total about $1,000 a year, accounting for almost half the home’s total utility bill. A ductless system that is Energy Star-certified offers up to 30% or more in savings depending on the existing.
Reduced utility costs aren’t the only advantage to having a ductless system. They offer several benefits over their traditional counterparts.
– Mini splits allow you to place indoor air-handling units in specific areas of your home, giving you greater flexibility and control over the temperature in your home. For example, if one room sees a lot of shade throughout the day, you can keep the temperature higher than in a room that experiences more sun. One outdoor unit can handle up to four indoor units.
Traditional cooling and heating systems generally consist of one thermostat that controls the whole home’s temperature. This doesn’t make zoning impossible, but zoning with traditional systems is much less efficient.
– Unlike traditional air systems, ductless systems offer greater interior design flexibility. Indoor units can be hung on the wall, mounted to a drop ceiling, or even hidden altogether. Indoor units can be mixed and matched depending on the design requirements of the home.
– As you don’t need to worry about ducts, mini splits are much easier to install. Hooking up indoor and outdoor units really only requires a three-inch hole in the wall for the conduit line. You can keep your outdoor unit up to 50 feet away from the indoor evaporator, so you can cool rooms at the front of the house but keep the compressor hidden behind the building.
– Window-mounted and through-the-wall air conditioners provide easy access for intruders. Ductless systems only require a small hole in the wall.
– No dirty ducts means no dirty air.
– Ducts can account for over 30% of energy loss thanks to leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts. This is especially true in unconditioned spaces or in ducts that have not been well maintained. With mini splits, you eliminate the losses associated with ducts.
1) Many customers expect the cost of installing ductless systems to be significantly less because of the lack of ductwork. Because the cost ductless mini split equipment may be higher than that of other systems, installation costs can be equal to or even greater than conventional system in some cases. However, the combination of rebates, tax credits, and other financial incentives along with reduced operating costs in the long run offsets the initial expense.
2) Hire an experienced professional to install your system. A professional can determine the proper location and size of each indoor unit. You may not need a huge system, which would only lead to higher upfront costs. Air handlers that are oversized or incorrectly placed can also lead to short cycling, which results in wasted energy from inefficient temperature and humidity control.
3) Much like other cooling and heating systems, your ductless system’s efficiency is determined by how well your home is sealed and insulated. It doesn’t matter how efficiently your system operates if your home’s foundation is filled with leaks, cracks, and drafts.
4) Ductless mini splits remain a sound investment that will save you money and give the environment a significant boost in the process. Consult a professional contractor if you think you’re ready to take the plunge with a new ductless mini split system.
Technology has seen some amazing achievements in the past few decades. Ductless mini splits are one of the greatest triumphs in commercial and residential heating technology, combining quality performance with improved costs.
This advanced technology has been around for over 60 years, finding great global popularity, but ductless mini splits have only recently made a splash in North America. With the addition of inverter technology, mini splits are more popular than ever. Let’s take a minute to learn what these systems are, how they work, and why they’re so efficient.
Ductless mini split systems offer heating and cooling in one quiet, compact, and energy-efficient package. Like standard systems, mini splits are comprised of two primary components: an indoor unit and outdoor unit(s). The outdoor unit houses the condenser and compressor. The indoor unit conditions the air and returns it right back to the room without the need for a ducting system.
The two components are connected via a conduit containing:
This conduit line is fed through a small hole in the wall to the outdoor unit and is concealed in a plastic cover. You can connect several indoor air handling units to a single outdoor unit, assigning each air handling unit to a different room. You can then control each air handling unit with its own thermostat.
When you grab your remote and turn on your ductless system, the indoor unit tells the outdoor condenser that you want it cool. The outdoor unit tells the compressor and outdoor fan to start working at just the right level to achieve the temp you want.
The compressor in the outdoor unit compresses refrigerant to a high pressure and pumps it thru sealed refrigerant lines to your indoor cassette. A small device called an expansion valve acts like a restriction and only allows a small amount of refrigerant thru the other side. This creates a large pressure and temperature drop, which converts the liquid refrigerant into a gas.
Now the refrigerant is primed and ready to soak up a lot of heat from the air that passes over the coil in the indoor unit. The refrigerant, in a gas state, carries it’s payload of heat back to the outdoor unit where it is compressed again and releases it’s heat thru the fan pulling air across the outdoor coils. Next time your air conditioning is running go outside and feel the air coming off the condenser, it will be nice and hot! Finally as the compressed refrigerant gives off heat, it reverts back to a liquid state again and travels back inside to continue the cycle all over again!
Part of what makes ductless cooling and heating systems efficient is the lack of ducts. With improper maintenance or old equipment, ducts can account for significant energy loss. Up to 30% of the air that moves through your ducts is lost thanks to holes, leaks, and poor connections. This becomes especially true in unconditioned spaces, like your attic.
With a ductless system, you don’t have to worry about these energy losses, nor do you have to think about the general upkeep and associated costs that go into maintaining your ducts.
The compressor is the heart of any cooling system, acting as a pump that puts the refrigerant gas under high pressure—part of the process of turning the refrigerant back into a liquid. A standard fixed-speed scroll compressor starts when the thermostat is turned on, runs at full speed, and turns off once the room reaches the desired temperature. This uses a lot of energy and isn’t very efficient. There are also 2-stage compressors, which are a little more efficient.
A ductless inverter compressor is unique in that it can vary its power and performance to match exactly what’s needed in the home. Inverter compressors generally stay on standby idle, making incremental changes to maintain a consistent temperature. This offers much more efficient cooling and heating. It also allows the system to control multiple indoor units in different rooms of the house! Research shows that inverter compressors reduce power consumption up to 60% over a standard fixed-speed compressor.
Ductless mini split systems are an amazing, money-saving investment. In part two, we’ll take a look at the environmental and financial benefits of having a ductless system in your home.
Having air conditioning in your San Diego home is a modern luxury that makes controlling the climate in your home convenient and comfortable. There are now more options when it comes to type of air conditioning systems that will work for your home. Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of ductless air conditioning vs. central air conditioning.
Not every home can accommodate a large central air conditioning system, particularly older homes where it is difficult or cost-prohibitive to fit the equipment in the attic or closet and find space to install the ducts needed for air conditioning. Thankfully, ductless air conditioning systems can fill the void when there are no central air options. Even people who have the option to use central air conditioning units are choosing ductless systems instead based on their efficiency and targeting power.
Here are a few key differences between these two types of air conditioning systems and a look at why you may choose one over the other.
This type of air conditioning is pretty common and preferred by many residents who want to keep entire homes cool with a single thermostat. Usually with central air conditioning the hot air in the home is pulled into a central return air duct, which is the larger register in your home found in the hallway or other central area. Hot air is filtered and drawn over the indoor coil where the heat is soaked up by the refrigerant and exchanged outside via the condenser. The cold air is now recirculated back into your entire home by way of the ducting system.
Advantages: Mainly, ease of cooling an entire building without having to go from room to room to make it happen. The indoor part of central air conditioning systems tend to be hidden from sight, with only the air registers seen on the walls. Sometimes you only need to replace part of your central system, this would keep costs down and improve your existing system. Since larger higher efficient filters will fit on a central system, filtration tends to work far better than with the smaller filters on a ductless unit.
Disadvantages: Central air conditioning condensers, (the outdoor unit), tend to be very large and can be noisy. Central air relies on ducting to distribute air to each room which can be torn, damaged or just fall apart resulting in major leakage, loss of efficiency and capacity. The average California home has around 30% duct leakage! Central a/c systems can be zoned for different rooms, but this requires extra, sometimes third-party equipment and adds an additional cost to the job.
Ductless air conditioning, also called mini-split systems, uses an air-handling unit that is located inside, mounted on a wall or inset into the ceiling, and connected by refrigerant lines to a compact outdoor compressor. As the name implies, there are no ducts involved in cooling the home. Instead, the wall unit pulls air across it’s coil, removes the heat, filters the air and sends it right back into the room where it is located. These systems are far more efficient, precise and quieter than many central air conditioning units.
Advantages: Ductless systems are more targeted and can cool just one spot or multiple zones in the same house. Generally up to four, sometimes eight, air-handling units can all connect to the same outdoor compressor. Unlike window units, ductless air conditioning units have programmable temperature settings (not just low, medium, and high). Unlike traditional central systems ductless systems can vary their output and energy usage based on the current conditions inside and outside the home. This ability to ramp up and down to just what is needed is what sets these systems apart.
The Environmental Protection Agency reports that the average household saves up to $1,000 every year on cooling costs by using ductless air conditioning units. Since there are no duct systems to install, labor cost is reduced when compared to central air conditioning installation. Other people praise the environmental benefits of the focused energy use as opposed to wasted air through central systems. Finally, the outdoor unit runs virtually silent. This feature is especially ideal when units are placed near bedroom windows, neighbors or in the backyard.
Disadvantages: With this type of air conditioning there is not one central place to adjust temperature for an entire house. For those who choose ductless systems, this is a small price to pay. Some people also view the aesthetic appearance of ductless units as a disadvantage as they are not hidden in the walls like duct systems. There are smart ways to integrate these systems though that make them less obvious in the rooms where they exist.
The best way to decide which to use is to know what is important to you and your family, what your budget is, and find out what your homes requirements are. Whatever system you choose, remember that a proper installation of any air conditioning system is what will contribute to the most comfort, energy efficiency, and safety your system can provide. Consult an air conditioning specialist for even more advice on what may be best for your space.
Even with summer coming to a gradual close, air conditioning is still an important part of keeping your home comfortable throughout the year. According to the American census, 65.9 percent of homes had some form of central air conditioning in 2011.
One of the more recent improvements to the modern air conditioning system is ductless air conditioning. The popularity of this new system is growing and it’s easy to see how ductless may replace traditional air conditioning. Let’s take a closer look at ductless air conditioning.
Before we go further, let’s take a step back and look at the science that goes into air conditioners. Air conditioning takes advantage of one very basic law of physics. When a liquid turns into a gas—a process known as evaporation—it absorbs heat. You can feel this when you wipe some cold water on your arm. It feels cool because of evaporation. Air conditioners essentially force chemical refrigerants to turn from liquid to gas and back again over and over through a system of closed coils.
The refrigerant moves through a series of indoor and outdoor coils. When hot air flows over the indoor coils, they absorb the heat and collect the humidity from your home. The heat travels thru pipes to the outdoor coils where the fan on the a/c unit pulls cooler air across the coils and takes the heat away, as the refrigerant cools it returns to a liquid again and travels back inside the home to pick up more heat. Fortunately, refrigerants are designed to change their molecular state (liquid to gas to liquid again) at fairly low temperatures. The compressor, like our heart, continually pumps the refrigerant through this process, which efficiently removes heat from your home and exchanges it outside.
Traditional central air conditioning is a split system consisting of an indoor coil usually installed above the furnace and a compressor unit located somewhere outside the home. When you turn your air conditioner on, the compressor springs to life and pumps the chemical refrigerant into the system inside the house, supplying you with all that chill air, which travels through ducts to cool your entire home. As the indoor unit transfers the heat into the refrigerant, it travels to the compressor and coils outside, which release the heat into the air.
For apartments and smaller homes, you may have a window unit. Unlike central air systems, window units combine the coils and the compressor into the single unit, but they work in the same general way. Heat is removed from your home and transferred through the compressor and radiates from the coils into the outside air—the part sticking out of the window.
Ductless air conditioning still uses the same basic methods as a traditional system—evaporation, compression, and condensation. Ductless systems are also split with the compressor outside and the cooling parts inside. The big difference is, unsurprisingly, the lack of ducts.
No ducts means no air conditioning vents, so how is heat removed out of the home? Indoor air-handling units, called heads or cassettes, make this happen right within the room itself. The heads are linked by a refrigerant line that connects them to the compressor outside.
Ductless systems provide a lot of advantages over the traditional system. The system is zonal, which means you can place heads in different rooms to create several zones with different temperatures. In other words, you can make a completely comfortable home that adjusts to your own needs. For example, you could keep your bedroom a cool 67 degrees while keeping your kitchen a comfortable 75 degrees. Alternately, you can turn on heads in sunny parts of the house and leave those in shaded areas off saving you money.
Ductless systems also present a ton in savings. Installation can be easier and cost effective as you don’t have to worry about installing a whole network of ducts into your home. It’s a matter of mounting the indoor units, making a few electrical connections and hooking up the refrigerant lines to the outdoor unit. Ductless air conditioning is also more efficient than traditional systems. Much of that is attributed to the lack of ducts, which are prone to leaks of up to 35% in the average home and can gain heat from the attic. Ductless heads remove heat and provide cool air directly in the room itself instead of sending air all the way to a central location of the home to be cooled and back again.
If you’re considering installing ductless air conditioning in your home, contact a professional ductless air conditioning specialist like Bob Jenson A/C today to learn which system can work for your home and comforts needs.
Summer is right around the corner—and with it comes barbecues, long days at the beach, fruity drinks, sunburn, seasonal allergies, heat exhaustion, and sweaty, uncomfortable nights in a humid bedroom.
Instead of being cooked alive by the heat in your own pajamas, take action to keep your family comfortable all summer long. And before you run out and buy the first window unit you can find, consider that other long-term solutions will help you beat the heat more efficiently.
Read on to find out what steps you can take to ensure your home is prepared for the summer’s rising temperatures.
Without modern AC, you may be stuck with those desperate summertime solutions like putting a bowl of ice behind a fan, or taking extra-long gazes into the freezer (it really doesn’t take 5 minutes to find the frozen French fries!). But with central air conditioning or ductless air conditioning, you have a cool, comfortable home for seasons and seasons to come.
Window units are very heavy and very difficult to install. They require lots of storage space in the winter and fall, and they aren’t very efficient in the long run. But with central air, you’ll get efficient cooling that reaches every room in your home, not just one. Granted, these systems still require some maintenance, but it’s nothing that can’t easily be completed by a Bob Jenson Air Conditioning technician! (And it never requires throwing out your back trying to lift a massive window unit.)
The most effective of those maintenance chores is replacing the filters. When your central air sits idle for the fall and winter, bugs and dust can build up, reducing the flow of air and wearing out your AC’s components. Moreover, when filters are in use for too long, they also accrue grime and dirt and eventually cease to filter at all.
Replacing these filters keeps the air in your home clean and fresh; which is absolutely necessary if you or your family members suffer from allergies. Plus, filters help maintain a comfortable environment, which makes the cooler air feel natural.
When most people think about installing insulation in their home, they assume it will keep their home warmer in the winter. Well, they are correct. But insulation also keeps your home cooler in the summer.
Without insulation, heat is free to move through the floors and walls of your home, including your roof. In the summer, this means that the heat outside will constantly move into your home, making it much more difficult to keep cool. It’s exactly like trying to pour water into a bucket riddled with holes.
Insulation prevents this free movement of heat. Without heat trying to invade your home, your AC unit can more easily maintain comfortable levels, which is cheaper and less burdensome on your electrical system’s circuit breakers.
If you’re having an air conditioning unit upgraded or installed, you may need to have your breaker box upgraded to better handle the higher electrical load your home will experience. This bill can run as high as several hundred dollars, but it definitely beats after-the-fact repairs from a blown breaker box.
Our technicians will recognize when your home needs upgrades in vital areas. Trust our experts for the most honest assessments and estimates of what it will take to make your home cool again.
Reduce energy consumption by cutting back on the amount of things you plug in on a daily basis. Don’t run all your appliances at one time, especially when there’s no reason to. Doing so can create heat, and it will increase your bills. Keep lights low and don’t put your AC on the most frigid setting; increase your system’s longevity by practicing moderation.
Even if your AC unit is working at acceptable levels, it’s worthwhile to get a professional inspection from our skillful technicians. We can spot problem areas before they occur, preventing that horrible experience of having your AC cut out on you during a major heat wave.
Bob Jenson Air Conditioning has been helping Southern California residents upgrade their air conditioning and sleep comfortably all summer long, since 1977. Give them a call today, after all, there’s nothing worse than never being able to find the cool side of the pillow.
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