Understanding AC Options for Homes in Texas with No Ductwork
The summers in Texas can be brutally hot and humid. If your home has no ductwork, you may think that you’re stuck sweating in the sweltering heat with nothing but fans or window air conditioners to help you keep cool. Window units and portable ACs aren’t necessarily a bad option. Still, they definitely don’t come anywhere near the cooling capabilities of a ducted central AC system. Nonetheless, there is a much better option for homes without ductwork, and that is to install ductless mini-split air conditioning.
How Does Ductless Mini-Split Air Conditioning Work?
Ductless mini-splits are a relatively newer type of AC that is designed to provide effective, energy-efficient cooling for homes without a central ductwork system. They are also a great option for any rooms that aren’t connected to your ductwork system.
On the face of things, ductless mini-splits are quite similar to central AC systems in that they consist of an indoor air handler and an outdoor condenser unit. The purpose of the condenser is to circulate refrigerant throughout the system and also to disperse heat from the home back outside. Inside the home is the air handler, which draws in hot air and blows cold air back out.
As with any other AC system, this process works by absorbing heat from the air inside the building using cold refrigerant. The condenser first compresses the refrigerant, which instantly reduces its temperature and turns it from a gas into a liquid. This liquid is then pumped into the evaporator coil in the air handler.
The air handler has a fan that constantly sucks in hot air and blows it over the cold evaporator coil. Heat energy in the air is automatically transferred to the refrigerant due to the temperature difference. This difference also causes moisture in the hot air to condense as water on the coil, which is how air conditioners reduce indoor humidity.
As the refrigerant absorbs heat, its temperature is raised, and it turns back into a gas. This gas then travels back out to the condenser, which uses a fan to help disperse the heat into the environment. Finally, the refrigerant travels back through the compressor and is again pumped into the evaporator coil.
Can Ductless Mini-Splits Cool an Entire Home?
Ductless mini-splits are far more energy efficient than any other type of air conditioning. They use much less energy than portable or window ACs while also providing much more effective cooling. However, they are similar to these other ACs in that they can only cool one room.
Still, this doesn’t mean that ductless AC can’t keep your entire home cool, as it definitely can. This is because it is possible to connect multiple air handlers to the same condenser unit. The best mini-split systems can run up to eight air handlers at the same time without needing additional condensers. That being said, if your home is large, you may need more than one condenser as each air handler needs to be within a specific distance of the condenser.
One of the biggest benefits of using a ductless system to cool your home is that you have far greater control than with a central AC system. Each air handler can be controlled independently. You can turn the different air handlers on and off and adjust their temperature without impacting the rest of the system. This can be a great help if you have some rooms or parts of the home that are always hotter or colder since you can set the temperature for each air handler accordingly.
Ductless AC Installation
Another huge benefit of ductless mini-splits is that they are fairly simple to install. The condenser unit is first mounted on a concrete pad. A small hole is then drilled in an exterior wall to connect the condenser to the air handler. This hole is used to run the refrigerant lines, the wiring that powers the condenser, and the condensate line that drains water away from the air handler.
After mounting the condenser, it usually only takes around two hours at the most to install each air handler. This time can increase, though, if you want to have the air handler recessed into the ceiling or if it is not being mounted on an exterior wall. In this case, the refrigerant lines will need to be run inside the wall or ceiling instead of being piped from outside directly to the air handler.
Northeast Texas’ Ductless AC Experts
At Ken Parker Service, Inc., we have been serving Greenville and Northeast Texas for 45 years and are the name to trust for all of your ductless AC needs. Our technicians have years of experience installing ductless mini-split ACs as well as other types of cooling and heating systems. If your home already has a ductless system, we can take care of any of your maintenance and repair needs as well. To learn more about how ductless AC can help you stay cool, give us a call today.
