Is a Ductless Air Conditioning System Right for Your Home?

4/26/2016 by Kevin Roman

You may have seen them in your neighborhood or you may have seen them in commercials. Something that was almost non-existent in the United States 10 years ago is now becoming the new norm for air conditioning. Ductless air conditioners – and specifically Mitsubishi ductless air conditioners – are being installed at a rapid rate. So what’s the big deal about these systems? Why are they quickly replacing traditional ducted systems and what are the advantages and disadvantages of them?

Roman Oil started installing ductless air conditioning systems 8 or 9 years ago. We used them as a way to spot-cool certain areas of a home. If someone had a bonus room above a garage we may have installed a traditional ducted system in the main area of the house, but installed a Mitsubishi in the bonus room to give it that extra cooling.

Now, however, people are choosing ductless cooling systems for their entire homes instead of ducted systems. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of a Mitsubishi ductless system that may help you make up your mind.

Advantages of a Ductless System

• Efficiency – In most cases, the Mitsubishi system is much more efficient than a ducted system in terms of SEER rating, and it also has the advantage of being zoned individually. When you go to bed at night, you can turn the Mitsubishi system on in your bedroom but off in the rest of the house. Most ducted systems are not zoned, so you have to cool your entire house even if you only want your bedroom cool.
• Heating Capability – Most Mitsubishi systems have built-in heat pumps that allow you to heat your house very efficiently. There are two models: the standard one will give you the full capacity of heating up until 32 degrees before it starts dropping off, while the Hyper-Heat model will allow you to heat in pretty much any weather.
• Space Saving – Ducted systems take up a good amount of space in your attic or basement. If you have a two-story house, you may need a system in both your attic and basement. A Mitsubishi ductless allows you to have the comfort of air conditioning without the need for ductwork. Where ductwork is hard or impossible to run, ductless systems can be a great option.
• Quiet – Mitsubishi systems are very quiet. Unlike window air conditioners, you can barely hear these units run – you’d have to be standing right next to the outdoor unit to know it is running. They have inverter technology, which means the fans slow down if full capacity is not needed. This makes them quieter and more efficient.
• Time and Disturbance – Mitsubishi systems are much quicker to install than a ducted system. Only a 3” hole is drilled through the outside wall for installation and it is completely covered. A 2-zone system can be installed in as little as 1 day.

Disadvantages of a Ductless System

• Appearance – The biggest disadvantage of these units is the look of them. Although they have a sleek design, they stick out on your wall. Some people would rather have the ductwork hidden in the attic than having the ductless unit installed on the wall.
• Multiple Linesets – Up to 8 indoor units can be installed off of one outdoor condenser, but that means that up to 16 copper lines (2 per unit) have to run from the condenser to the indoor units. This can get tricky and can be seen on the outside of your house. Although we are able to hide a lot of this with Line Hide covers, it can be a negative for some people.
• Incomplete Cooling – Although we can install up to 8 Mitsubishi indoor units off of one condenser, if a house has many rooms and you want all of them cool, a ducted system might be the easier way to achieve that.

Choosing an Air Conditioning System for Your Home

Over half the systems we are installing these days are the Mitsubishi ductless systems, but there are still many advantages to a traditional ducted system. We encourage every homeowner to explore the options before making a choice. Installing air conditioning is a big financial commitment and the more educated you can be, the easier your decision will be.

Our job is to make sure you’re aware of all the options, and help you choose the best cooling system for your home.

Have questions about the different types of air conditioning systems?