Are you searching for a reliable, affordable home comfort system? If electricity is the better or only solution available to you, a central heat pump or ductless mini-split could be perfect for your home. Both systems operate on electric power and operate in heating and cooling modes for year-round comfort. So, have you made your choice? If you're still trying to decide, get the details about each HVAC system to help you make your mind up.
What Is a Heat Pump?
A heat pump is a type of central climate control system. Compared with a furnace, which generates usable heat for the home by igniting a fuel source, a heat pump transfers heat from one place to another. In the winter, it draws heat energy from the air outside and deposits it inside. Then, a built-in reversing valve allows it to complete this process backward in the summer, working the same as an AC system to transfer heat and humidity from indoor air and vent it outside.
What Is a Mini-Split?
A mini-split works on the same principle as a heat pump. In fact, it is a kind of heat pump — but although they don’t use the ductwork. That’s why it’s called a “ductless” system. A mini-split could be a ceiling- or wall-mounted unit with a built-in air handler. This indoor portion connects directly to an outdoor condensing unit through a small hole drilled into the wall. Several indoor units can connect with a single outdoor unit, enabling whole-home comfort with no ductwork required.
Making Your Decision
Below are significant factors to review when choosing between a heat pump and a mini-split for your Edmonton home.
Ductwork & Installation
If your home is already heated and cooled with a standard furnace and air conditioner, the required ductwork infrastructure is already in place. So in this case, installing a heat pump is probably the more cost-effective option.
On the other hand, if you live in an older home or have just made an addition, you might not have ductwork accessible to use that space year-round. In this case, adding a mini-split is much less complicated and is more cost effective than putting in the ductwork required for a heat pump.
Unit Control
Heat pumps are controlled very much like most other central heating and cooling systems: by adjusting a wall-mounted thermostat installed in a accessible location. Having said that, ductless mini-splits use a remote that lets you control each wall-mounted unit from anywhere in the room.
Zoning
If you’re content with regulating the temperature throughout the house using a single thermostat, zoning may not be worth the effort. If it is, you can enhance home comfort and reduce wasted energy by heating and cooling separate rooms independently.
Such ‘zoned’ temperature control can be incorporated into a central heat pump system by using multiple thermostats and ductwork dampers. But it may be more straightforward and more cost-effective to install mini-splits in rooms with specific temperature demands, whether they’re heated and cooled by a central HVAC system or not.
Design Flexibility
Heat pumps don’t prioritize flexibility. Instead, they can replace your existing furnace and air conditioner and offer whole-house comfort thanks to a network of air ducts.
Mini-splits have more options for where you can put the unit. You can add one in a single room that you would otherwise find tricky to keep comfortable. You can mount one in a modified garage or sunroom without extending the ductwork. You can also equip the entire home with a mini-split air handler in each room, all connected to the outdoor condensing unit for affordable operation.
Energy Efficiency
Today’s heat pumps are more efficient than ever. There are even cold-climate versions offered for a performance boost at low temperatures.
All the same, ductless mini-splits are generally more efficient because they don’t suffer the energy losses that come with leaky ductwork. The average home loses more than 20% of the air passing through the ductwork to spotty air sealing or a lack of insulation. This means that a mini-split is more likely to offer the same quantity of hot or cold air at a lower cost.
Appearance
Heat pumps look similar to central AC units. The outdoor unit is nearly indistinguishable, and the indoor air handler stays hidden within a utility closet or somewhere in the basement.
By comparison, mini-splits are easier to spot. The air handlers come in sleek jackets designed to be inconspicuous, but they are clearly visible in any room in which they are mounted on the wall or ceiling.
Schedule Heat Pump or Mini-Split Installation
No matter which system you decide is right for your home, McKinley Heating Service Experts can perform the professional installation you count upon. Our specialists are ready to deliver excellent products and services backed by our one-year 100% satisfaction guarantee. To learn more about heat pumps vs. mini-splits or request an installation estimate, please contact your local McKinley Heating Service Experts office today.