Guide to Mini-Splits vs. Heat Pumps

Are you shopping for a dependable, affordable home comfort system? If electricity is the ideal or only choice available to you, a central heat pump or ductless mini-split could be perfect for your home. Both systems function on electric power and run in heating and cooling modes for year-round comfort. So, have you made your choice? If you’re still trying to figure it out, get the details about each HVAC system to help you determine the right fit. 

What Is a Heat Pump? 

A heat pump is a kind of central climate control system. Unlike a furnace, which generates usable heat for the home by igniting a fuel source, a heat pump redirects heat from one place to another. In the winter, it draws heat energy from the air outdoors and redirects it inside. Then, a built-in reversing valve allows it to perform this process backward in the summer, behaving the same as an air conditioner to transfer heat and humidity from indoor air and vent it outside. 

What Is a Mini-Split? 

A mini-split operates on the same principle as a heat pump. Actually, it is a kind of heat pump — minus the ductwork. That’s why it’s called a “ductless” system. A mini-split is designed as a ceiling- or wall-mounted unit with a built-in air handler. This indoor equipment is connected directly to an outdoor condensing unit through a small hole drilled through the wall. Multiple indoor units can connect with a single outdoor unit, enabling whole-home comfort with no ductwork needed. 

Making Your Decision 

Here are the most important details to review when choosing between a heat pump and a mini-split for your Windsor 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. Therefore, installing a heat pump is likely the more affordable option. 

That being said, if you live in an older home or have just completed a renovation, you might not have ductwork accessible to use that space year-round. In this case, adding a mini-split is much less complex and is more affordable than adding in the ductwork required for a heat pump. 

Unit Control 

Heat pumps are managed very much like most other central heating and cooling systems: by adjusting a wall-mounted thermostat installed in a convenient location. Having said that, ductless mini-splits have a remote that lets you control each wall-mounted unit from anywhere in the room. 

Zoning 

If you’re satisfied with controlling the temperature throughout the house using a single thermostat, zoning may not be worth the effort. If it is, you can improve home comfort and save energy by heating and cooling separate rooms separately. 

Such ‘zoned’ temperature control can be incorporated into a central heat pump system by setting up multiple thermostats and ductwork dampers. But it may be easier and more practical to install mini-splits in rooms with precise temperature demands, whether they’re heated and cooled by a central HVAC system or not. 

Design Flexibility 

Heat pumps don’t emphasize flexibility. Instead, they can replace your existing furnace and air conditioner and supply whole-house comfort through a network of air ducts. 

Mini-splits have more choices for where you can put the unit. Homeowners can install one in a single room that you would otherwise find tough to keep comfortable. You can mount one in a transformed garage or sunroom without extending the ductwork. You can also outfit the entire house with a mini-split air handler in each room, all hooked up to the outdoor condensing unit for cost-effective operation. 

Energy Efficiency 

Modern heat pumps are more efficient than ever. There are even cold-climate versions on the market for a performance boost at low temperatures. 

Even so, ductless mini-splits are usually more efficient because they don’t suffer the energy losses associated with leaky ductwork. An ordinary home squanders more than 20% of the air traveling through the ductwork to spotty air sealing or a lack of insulation. This means that a mini-split is more likely to provide the same quantity of hot or cold air at a lower cost. 

Appearance 

Heat pumps look almost identical to central AC units. The outdoor unit is nearly indistinguishable, and the indoor air handler stays within a utility closet or place in the basement. 

On the other hand, mini-splits are easy to view. The air handlers come in sleek jackets designed to be unnoticeable, but they are clearly visible in any room in which they are installed on the wall or ceiling. 

Schedule Heat Pump or Mini-Split Installation 

No matter which system you decide is right for your home, Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts can perform the professional installation you count upon. Our technicians are ready to deliver excellent products and services supported by our one-year 100% satisfaction guarantee. To ask more questions about heat pumps vs. mini-splits or request an installation estimate, please contact your nearest Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts office today.