Ductless Heating & Cooling | ENERGY STAR

Ductless heat pumps, or mini split heat pumps, are an alternative to radiator or baseboard heating, as well as a replacement for window units for cooling. No duct work is needed. Instead, a head unit, or multiple head units, are mounted on an interior wall or ceiling, with an accompanying unit outside. The outside unit extracts heat from the air, even when it’s cold. Refrigerant carries the heat directly to the head(s) inside, which then delivers heated air to occupied space. In warmer months, the system works in reverse for quiet, efficient air conditioning. The illustration demonstrates how a ductless heat pump works in both cold and warm seasons, doing double duty to keep your home comfortable no matter the temperature outside.

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Mini Split vs. Ducted Systems

Mini split heat pumps, or ductless heat pumps, are specifically designed for homes or sections of homes that do not have ductwork. If your home does have existing ductwork, a ducted ASHP system may be the right system for you. Ducted ASHP systems can be installed and connected to the conventional forced-air ductwork system that is typical of most American homes. To learn more about ducted ASHP systems, visit www.energystar.gov/products/air_source_heat_pumps.

Additional Benefits of Mini Splits:

• Lower energy bills by switching from electric resistance, propane, and oil to heat pumps.
• No combustion means better indoor air quality because there are no direct emissions such as NOx, carbon dioxide, or carbon monoxide.
• No fuel storage or risk of running out of fuel.

Is a mini split right for you?

Mini splits can be utilized for whole home heating and cooling, but are also a great fit to supplement your existing HVAC system depending on your needs.

Mini splits are increasingly being used in situations, such as:

• Homes with costly electric heat (e.g., baseboard, furnace, wall heaters, electric radiant) that will also benefit from cooling.
• Older homes with no existing ductwork (e.g., radiators or baseboard heat) that have never had central air conditioning before.
• Existing homes with high fuel costs.
• Additions or outbuildings (e.g., shed, barn, garage) where extending ductwork or heating/cooling capacity is difficult. Spaces adjacent to unconditioned spaces where ductwork would be exposed to harsher temperatures (e.g., a guest room above a garage).
• New, high-efficiency homes, including ENERGY STAR certified homes.
• Older commercial buildings with no existing ductwork for air conditioning or expansions.
• Where hot or cold spots exist within homes including spaces which serve as home offices.
• Rooms require additional heating with a preference to reduce fossil fuel consumption from primary heating source.
• Buildings with an older central heating unit that would like to replace it with a whole home clean heating solution.

Proper Sizing

Installing properly sized HVAC equipment for your home is essential to getting the best performance and comfort. A system that is either too large or too small for its intended space will struggle to meet your home comfort needs. Your HVAC contractor can help determine what sized system is right for your home. Your contractor should verify the proper size system for your home using a tool called "Manual J" - a calculation of the amount of heating and cooling your home requires to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Cold Climate Considerations

Many new ENERGY STAR certified mini split models excel at providing space heating even in the coldest of climates, as they use advanced compressors and refrigerants that allow for improved low temperature performance. If you live in a climate where winter temperatures regularly dip below freezing, talk to your contractor to choose an ENERGY STAR certified unit suited to your particular home. When you ask your contractor for an ENERGY STAR certified cold climate ASHP, you can be confident that your new AHSP system will deliver the heating performance and efficiency benefits you expect on even the coldest winter days. A good contractor will work with you to determine the size and potential integration with a back-up heating system that will work best for your home.

Climate ASHP technology has improved significantly over the past several years, and many ASHP systems are capable of delivering heating capacity and efficiency at low outdoor temperatures. The ENERGY STAR certification requires third-party verified performance for low temperatures, testing ASHPs down to 5°F. Testing cold climate ASHP performance at 5°F ensures that your ASHP will provide all the heat you need to keep your home comfortable all winter. Your cold climate ASHP will continue working at temperatures below 5°F, but pairing it with a back-up energy source will heat your home the most efficiently when temperatures are even lower.

Take Advantage of Incentives

Air source heat pumps that earn the ENERGY STAR are eligible for a federal tax credit up to $2,000. This tax credit is effective for products purchased and installed between January 1, , and December 31, . Learn more at www.energystar.gov/taxcredits. Many utilities also offer incentives for installing ENERGY STAR certified ASHPs. Check with your local utility for more details or go to: www.energystar.gov/rebatefinder.

What else should I look for when buying a mini split?

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Split Air To Water Heat Pump.

Remember, even though these products can be more expensive to purchase up front, the cost difference will be paid back over time through lower energy bills. Consider regular maintenance of your heating and cooling system to prevent future problems and unwanted costs. Mini splits are one of six high-impact improvements to your home that work together to deliver significant energy and cost savings. Learn more about additional improvements with the ENERGY STAR Home Upgrade.

Finding Certified Equipment

Be sure to look for the ENERGY STAR when shopping for a ductless heating and cooling system

Air-source heat pumps. Use the ENERGY STAR Product Finder to help you identify high efficiency equipment that meets the latest ENERGY STAR certification criteria and then work with a professional installer to find the model that is right for you. Be sure to shop around for a well–reputed contractor familiar with “ductless” or “mini–split” systems. ENERGY STAR offers tips on how to hire a contractor.

Learn How a Product Earns the Label

Air-source heat pumps transfer heat that is in the outside air into the home. The most common ones transfer this heat into the indoor air, and are called air-to-air heat pumps. There are three main types of air-to-air heat pumps: central, mini-split, and multi-split.

A central heat pump distributes heat and cooling through ductwork connected to vents in each room.

A mini-split heat pump does not rely on ductwork to heat and cool the home. Instead, mini-split heat pumps use a series of one or more indoor heads located throughout the home. An outdoor unit connects to wall-mounted indoor heads by a small bundle of cables, including the refrigerant line. A remote control is used to adjust settings for maximum efficiency, comfort and control.

While the term mini-split can be used to refer to any ductless type of heat pump, it typically refers to a system that only has one indoor head. The term multi-split is often used to describe a heat pump system that has multiple indoor heads.

Not all mini-splits are completely ductless! A ducted mini-split heat pump uses short ductwork to connect a single indoor unit to multiple rooms. In these systems an indoor unit is mounted in the attic, where short ducts distribute air to multiple rooms.

The type of heat pump you choose will depend on a number of factors:

• Size and layout of your home: Mini-split/ductless heat pumps can be used in homes of various sizes, but they are ideal for smaller homes or homes with an open plan layout.
• State of your ducts: It’s important to check the ducts of your old heating system. Depending on their size, airtightness, and layout, a contractor may need to do some modifications and repairs prior to installing any new high efficiency heating system.
• Interest in removing ducts: The ductless design of a mini-split heat pump makes them ideal for installation in homes that do not already have central ducted heating – for example, in homes with electric baseboards or when switching from a boiler system with radiant heating to a heat pump system. If you are interested in removing the ducting in your home to provide you with more headspace or a more efficient utilization of space, installing a mini-split/ductless heat pump will allow you to do so.
• Zonal heat: The design of a ductless heat pump allows for zonal heating – that is, the ability to set different temperatures in different areas of your home. Zonal heating is an efficient and effective way of providing just the right amount of heat to the areas that are most commonly occupied in the home – such as common living spaces, home offices, bedrooms, and using less heat in areas that are not frequently used. Zonal heating is also useful for homes where the occupants have different heating preferences or for areas of the home that need separate heating controls – like a home with a rental suite.
• Outdoor temperature: The heat pump you choose should be compatible with your region’s climate. Some models perform better than others in colder winter temperatures.

Other types of heat pumps

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• Air-to-water heat pumps also take heat from the outdoor air, but they transfer it into a liquid distribution (hydronic) system. Air-to water heat pumps can be used for both space heating and domestic hot water.
• Ground-source heat pumps are another type of heat pump. The steady, moderate temperature of the ground allows these heat pumps to have high year-round efficiency. Ground-source heat pumps often do not require a backup heating system but typically have higher upfront costs than air source heat pumps. Installed cost will vary depending on your site geology and available space.