Mini Split Air Conditioners

29Mar/101

While most people think they're only options for cooling their homes in the warmer months of the year are central air conditioners, window air conditioners, or ceiling fans, there is another alternative that not many people are aware of. Somewhere between a window unit and a central air unit is the mini split air conditioner. A split air conditioner is a cost effective method of cooling several rooms in your home, with the added benefit of not having to run costly and complicated ductwork through your house.

What Is A Mini Split Air Conditioner?

A mini split air conditioner is very similar in design to a central air unit. It has an air condenser which is installed on the outside of the home. The external condenser is then connected to internal air handlers within the house. Where a central air unit has one large air handler that feeds cool air to each room via the ductwork system, a mini split system has small air handlers that are installed in individual room. Each external condenser unit can run up to four air handlers each and, depending on the size of the air handler and the layout of the house, you may be able to use one unit to heat more than one room.

What Are The Benefits Of Mini Split Systems?

The primary benefit of a mini split system is the ability to control each room's temperature individually. With a central air system, you set the temperature on the main thermostat and each room that is connected to the ductwork is cooled to that specific temperature. While closing the air vents in some rooms may save a bit of time on the overall cooling process, it is not that effective. With a mini split system, however, each small air handler has its own temperature controls. This not only allows you to set each room to a different temperature, perfect for households where individuals prefer warmer or colder environments than each other, it also allows you to turn the units off completely when a room is not in use. For example, if you have a home office and work during the week, you can choose to only run the air handler connected to your office during the day, saving money by not expending the energy to cool the unoccupied rooms in the house. On the weekends, when the office is not in use, the air handler can be turned off, once again saving electricity.

Some other benefits of a split system include a much simpler installation process than a traditional central air unit. This is due primarily to the fact that there are no ducts that need to be run through the house. Split systems are also much more effective than window units, which can only lower the temperature in a room by a few degrees, and ceiling fans, which simply move the air around in order to make it feel cooler. Spit systems also eliminate the energy waste caused by duct lines. Studies show that up to 25% of the cool air produced by a central unit is lost as the air travels from the main air handler to the rooms themselves. With a split system, the air from the handler unit goes directly into the room, eliminating any efficiency loss completely.

What Are The Downsides?

Initially, the first downfall of a mini split air conditioner is the fact that they are slightly higher in cost than a traditional central air unit, which means you will pay a bit more for the system itself. When you take into account the installation charges, however, the split system costs much less to install which helps to even the overall prices back out. While a central unit can service multiple rooms in a home off one air handler, the split system is usually limited to four rooms per outside condenser. If you have a somewhat open floor plan, however, you may be able to use one air handler to cool two rooms. Also, while the need for ductwork is eliminated, this also means that each room being cooled will have to house its own handler unit. The components, however, are often small in size, no bigger than window unit or portable air conditioner would be, and somewhat easy to install in a location that does not interfere with the overall function of the room itself.

While it is impossible to compare he split system apples to apples with a central air system, the several benefits it does possess often outweigh the downsides, making it a preferred choice for many consumers.

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