Ducts may be thought of as the new dinosaurs of the home. Snaking between the walls, losing expensively cooled or heated air as they go, attracting mold and seemingly crinkling like accordions under very little pressure . . . Well, almost nobody likes ducts anymore.
In fact, some HVAC guys have gone hog wild over ductless HVAC mini-split systems. At trade shows, they are all the rage. And there’s a lot to be said for dropping the ducts. After all, whenever something must be planted in the walls of your home, it’s subject to breakage and aging and represents a potential repair job. Right?
The new ductless HVAC systems are marvelous. They can heat or cool a single room or a zone, respond to remote control, and are available in heat pumps that have very low energy consumption. But before you succumb to the ductless desire, let’s get the cards on the table.
This here website presents a more skeptical view: http://www.ac-heatingconnect.com/contractors/toolkit/news-and-views/july-2013/. The author, Frank Landwehr, shoots down four myths associated with ducts.
#1: Ductless are taking over the market. Landwehr argues that’s not true. And although his post was written in July 2013, he stands by his assertion that ducted systems are still the most popular in the U.S.
#2: Ductless minisplits are much cheaper because they do away with ducts. Landwehr estimates that the cost of installing a new ductless minisplit system can be 50% higher than installing a conventional system— and three times as high in a 2000-sf home that has no ductwork. He gets some pushback from his readers, which you can read if you’re interested.
#3: Ductless systems are more efficient because no conditioned air is lost through the ducts. Landwehr makes the simple point that any air lost inside the home ends up conditioning the space, even if it’s not the exact space for which it was intended.
#4: Ductless systems offer superior comfort. Landwehr argues that they produce hot spots and cold spots, and they are aesthetically ugly (box on the wall). Whether he favors registers in the floor, old-fashioned cast iron radiators or baseboards is not addressed.
The U.S. government also has a few things to say— generally more conventional in thinking but still useful: http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/ductless-mini-split-air-conditioners. (The gist of Energy.gov’s anti-ductless case rests with cost.)
So there you have it– in essence, a worst-case scenario. Are you persuaded? Do you still think ductless minisplit is the way to go for your new home or addition? Here’s some information on specific models, features and pricing: http://www.acdoctor.com/Ductless-Splits-p-1-c-183.html. Let us know what you decide!