Are Ductless Air Conditioners The Best Option For You?

It’s summer time and that rickety old window fan is just not keeping you as cool as you’d like it to.

The time has come for an upgrade. The time has come to buy an air conditioner.

You owe it to yourself in these long sticky stretches of summer and everyone around you will be thankful!

The question is: What air conditioner makes the most sense for your home and for your budget?

Come along as we tell you why ductless air conditioners may be the best option for you.

Pros

They Are Easy To Install

When you see an uninstalled unit it may resemble something commissioned by NASA. But fear not, they are actually much less frightening to put together than you might imagine.

As long as your home has a hole in one of your walls to house a ductless air conditioner, units are generally pretty easy to install.

Just leave it to plumbing and heating expert Richard Tretheway as he recently provided a step by step lesson on how to install one of these for This Old House.

So as long as you have space and the patience to put it together, installing ductless air conditioners is a piece of cake!

They Are Energy Efficient

This is probably the biggest plus for installing a ductless air conditioner. They are good for reducing your carbon footprint and will save you some serious money in the long run.

According to Energy.gov, since these units don’t have ducts “they avoid the energy losses associated with ductwork of central forced air systems”. Which is great because “Duct losses can account for more than 30% of energy consumption for space conditioning.”

By having a more energy efficient AC unit you’ll find that you’ll be using it less to cool down your home which will cut down your monthly electric bill over time.

And who doesn’t want a smaller electric bill?

They Are Convenient

Some larger units are generally controlled by some sort of mounted thermostat. But once you’ve installed your ductless air conditioner you’ll notice how easy it is to control your unit from wherever you are in your home.

Most units come with portable remote controls so changing your setting on a whim will be as convenient as ever.

You’ll never have to trek down into your basement to mess around with your central air unit or band the top of your old window air conditioner until is falls onto the street (more on that later).

With the power at your fingertips, you can breathe easy.

Put your feet up. Break out the chips and dip. It’s time to relax.

They Are Safe

You hear stories all them time about window air conditioner units wiggling out of place and falling onto the sidewalk. Or worse, on to someone’s head.

So why not make sure your unit is secure?

With ductless air conditioner units, you’ll only have to worry about installing the unit into your wall and not fretting over smashing someone else’s parked car on the street below.

Ductless air conditioners don’t use harmful flammable gasses to cool down your home so they don’t require the same ventilation as some of the other more popular options on the market. With no threat to the inside or outside of your home, you can rest assured knowing that you went with one of the safest air conditioners out there.

But now that we’ve gone through all of the positives, it’s time to take you through the downside of installing a ductless air conditioner in your home.

The Cons

If You Don’t Do It Yourself, They Can Be Expensive To Install

Because the installation of one of these units requires time and commitment, contractors may choose to quote you a price that may seem astronomical compared to what you may have in mind.

But don’t listen to them! You can do this.

As Green Building Advisor found some contractors consider ductless air conditioners to be a “niche market.” Because of this, they can choose to have a large sliding scale of what they are willing to charge their customers.

In that case, your best bet would be to take the DIY approach and install the unit yourself, cutting out the middle man.

It may seem like daunting back-breaking work, but think of the energy and cost you will be saving in the long run.

They Require Maintenance

Unlike some cheaper air conditioning units with filters that only need to be changed from time to time, ductless air conditioners require far more attention in order to work properly.

These units not only have filters but have fans and a pipe system that can both become congested if left alone for too long. You will also want to make sure that the outside of the unit, as well as the inside, are free from dust and grime.

You should be sure to clean your entire ductless air conditioner monthly in order for it to last longer and to make sure that it is running at it’s highest efficiency. And when the days start to get hotter, you’ll want to make sure your unit is blasting as much cold air as possible.

These steps may seem like daunting chores and you may be persuaded with settling for the easiest option you can find. But just like installing these units, it will be more gratifying taking the more difficult path and cleaning your unit yourself.

You’ll be glad you did.

Now You Know Everything There Is To Know About Ductless Air Conditioners

Don’t sweat the small stuff this summer. Literally and figuratively.

Find the air conditioner that is right for you and keep cool in the blistering heat.

If you have any more questions about whether or not ductless air conditioners might be right for you, feel free to send us a message through our contact page.

You can also check out our financing page to see about getting one installed today.

We are here to help you escape the heat!