Only Need Heat Occasionally? Consider A Mini-Split Heat Pump System
Are you building a home in an area where the temperature only occasionally falls so low that you need to turn on the heat? Installing an entire central HVAC system, including ducts and a full-size furnace, seems silly. Plus, you'll have to have to run a gas line for a natural gas furnace. A good alternative in this situation is a ductless, mini-split heat pump system. These units run on electricity, which prevents you from having to run a gas line, and they're the perfect choice when you only need to heat your home a few days of the year. Here's a closer look:
What is a ductless, mini-spit heat pump system?
This type of heating system consists of two main units. There's an outdoor unit, which contains a condenser coil that captures heat from the outdoors. (Yes, even when it is cold outside, there is some heat in the air.) There's also in indoor air handling unit, which blows the warm air through the wall and into your home. Depending on the size of your home, you may have more than one air handling unit -- but all of them will be connected to the same outdoor condenser.
Why is this system such a good choice for homes in warmer climates?
In areas where the temperature falls far below zero for months on end, ductless heat pumps can't always keep up. But in areas where the temperature it's maybe 40 or 50 degrees F outside and you need to raise your home's temperature by 20 or 30 degrees, a heat pump can certainly keep up.
Unlike natural gas furnaces, ductless heat pumps don't need to keep any sort of pilot running when they're not being used. So, your heat pump will only use electricity when you turn it on.
If you have multiple air handling units, you can also have separate control over different areas in your home. Each air handling unit has its own thermostat. So, for example, you can set your upstairs temperature to 68 and your downstairs to 72 if you like. If only one area of your home feels chilly, you only have to turn the heat on in that one place.
With a ductless heat pump system, you don't have to leave room in the walls for ducts, which means your wall spaces can be narrower -- and your actual rooms will be larger. Why waste space on ducts you'd only use a few times per year?
If you're looking for an efficient, space-saving heating system that's there when you need it but not an obstacle when you don't, consider a mini-split heat pump system. Talk to your local heating contractor to learn more.
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