If you’re building an addition to your home or erecting a casita on your property, it will need cooling. As you weigh your cooling options, consider a ductless mini-split system. Mini-splits are a near-perfect cooling solution for any small space. Plus, they can coexist with your home’s existing HVAC system without any modifications. Here’s everything you need to know about mini-splits and why they’re perfect for casitas and additions.
What Is a Ductless Mini-Split?
If you’re unfamiliar with them, ductless mini-splits are a type of flexible, permanently installed cooling solution. They rely on a centralized outdoor condenser with one or more wall-mounted air handlers inside. Only a small bundle of electrical and refrigerant lines connects the two. As a result, it’s possible to install a ductless mini-split virtually anywhere. They’re a great alternative to window ACs and are easier to install than central AC.
What Are the Advantages of Ductless Mini-Splits?
There are multiple advantages associated with ductless mini-splits. The following are a few of the most notable among them.
Ease of Installation
When it comes to casitas and additions, the biggest advantage of a mini-split is ease of installation. A mini-split doesn’t need ductwork, so you won’t have to tear open finished walls to install one. Instead, a mini-split installation usually requires a roughly 3-inch hole drilled through each wall that hosts an air handler. That’s enough to permit the passage of the necessary refrigerant and power lines. As for the air handler itself, installation requires a mounting plate attached to the wall. The air handler is mounted to the plate for stability.
In most cases, it’s possible to locate air handlers along exterior walls to minimize refrigerant and power line length. In a casita or home addition, that’s the most common installation scenario. However, when that’s impossible, running the refrigerant and power lines through finished walls and ceilings isn’t very difficult.
A mini-split’s outdoor unit is usually smaller than that of a central AC. As a result, you can sit it on a concrete pad right outside your home or wall-mount it. For power, you only need an AC disconnect box mounted near the outdoor unit. The unit then supplies power to the connected air handlers, so no wires need to be run inside.
High Energy Efficiency
Another great benefit of ductless mini-splits is their high energy efficiency. There are ductless mini-split ACs with SEER ratings up to 30. That’s significantly higher than the average central AC. Plus, the fact that mini-splits don’t use ductwork helps, too. Ductwork losses can sharply reduce efficiency in ducted AC systems. According to the Department of Energy, the average homeowner can lose up to 20% of their conditioned air due to flaws in their ductwork.
If you install a mini-split system, zoning is built in. That’s because each air handler has independent controls. So, you can set a different temperature in each room with an air handler. That avoids unnecessary overcooling of indoor spaces. You can even turn off the air handlers completely if no one’s occupying a particular room.
Improved Air Quality
Ductless mini-splits can also improve the air quality in your casita or addition. Each mini-split air handler has a washable air filter. They can trap dust and remove it from your home’s air. And because they don’t use ductwork, there’s nowhere for additional dust or allergens to accumulate. As long as you clean the air filters every few weeks, your mini-split will keep the air fresh.
Quiet Operation
Installing a ductless mini-split in your casita or addition will also keep it cool without making much noise. Mini-split air handlers operate very quietly because they have relatively small blower fans. Some models even have a silent operation mode you can use when even minimal noise is unacceptable. Mini-split outdoor units also make less noise than comparable central AC outdoor units. The average mini-split outdoor unit will make 30–38 dB of noise while running. By comparison, a central AC’s outdoor unit can reach up to 75 dB while running. And if you choose a mini-split with inverter-driven operation, its outdoor unit will speed up or slow down to match your cooling demand. That means the outdoor unit will be extremely quiet except on the hottest days of the year.
Available Heating Capabilities
Here in Thousand Palms, we rarely experience cold weather. That can make installing a heating system for your casita or addition a tough pill to swallow. To accommodate occasional heating needs, some homeowners opt for electric space heaters. Although those will get the job done, they do have drawbacks. One is that they can pose a fire hazard. The other is that they’re costly to operate. Fortunately, mini-splits offer an excellent alternative.
Some mini-splits offer heating capabilities using heat pump technology. They can easily supply the heat you need for your casita or addition. Plus, they do so at over four times the energy efficiency of a space heater. A mini-split heat pump can achieve efficiencies of up to 400%. They’re especially efficient in mild temperatures, making them ideal for the Thousand Palms climate. And since heat pumps don’t have exposed heating elements, they pose almost no fire risk.
Great Expandability
Finally, ductless mini-splits offer excellent system expandability. You can deploy multiple mini-splits to cover additional spaces in your home as needed. Or, you can upgrade to a larger mini-split to power up to eight indoor air handlers. And since mini-splits come in capacities of up to five tons, they’re just as capable as any ducted central AC.
Ductless Mini-Split Costs
Now that you know the advantages of ductless mini-splits, you’re probably wondering about their upfront costs. The good news is that a single-zone ductless mini-split heat pump can cost less than $2,000 installed. The price, of course, depends on the model you choose and the complexity of the installation. For example, if you’re building a large casita, you will need several air handlers, which will increase costs. Overall, however, mini-splits are the cheapest heating and cooling solution you can get for a casita or addition. We also offer upfront pricing so you’ll understand the costs involved before we perform any work. And we even offer financing options on approved credit to help you pay for the system you need.
Your Local Ductless Mini-Split Experts
Since 1984, General Air Conditioning & Plumbing has been the top provider of comfort solutions in Thousand Palms. We have a team of highly trained and experienced HVAC technicians. They’re also drug-tested and background-checked for your protection. As a Lennox Premier Dealer, we only sell and install the highest-quality ductless mini-splits available. We also specialize in Daikin mini-splits, which have an excellent reputation. And we’re Better Business Bureau-accredited with an A+ rating and a multi-year Nextdoor Neighborhood Fave.
Contact General Air Conditioning & Plumbing today for more information if you’re interested in a ductless mini-split for your casita or home addition in Thousand Palms.
