Types of Ductless Heat Pumps
Choosing the right HVAC equipment is essential when trying to keep your home comfortable. There are plenty of different types of air conditioners and heat pumps on the market today, so it can be overwhelming if you start to shop without a basic understanding of what you need.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the topic of ductless heat pumps, specifically types of heat pumps which we service here. While not the right choice for everyone, this type of equipment is perfect for certain applications, and there are a few options to pick from within this category. You should have a good idea of the options available by the end of this article, and you are always welcome to reach out to Walker Air • Plumbing • Electric if you need more information. Let’s get started!
What Does a Heat Pump Do?
Before we dive into the specific types of heat pumps, let’s first discuss what it can do for your house. The name “heat pump” comes from the fact this type of equipment can move heat from one place to another. It’s important to note this movement of heat can happen in either direction, so it can move heat from inside your home to outside, or it can pull available heat from outdoors and bring it inside.
This design stands in contrast to an air conditioner, which is only able to move heat from inside your home to outside. Many people think of air conditioners as producing cool air, but that’s not quite accurate – instead, an AC unit simply pulls heat out of the air in your home and dumps it outside. With a heat pump, you can accomplish the same thing, but you can also do it in reverse when warming is needed rather than cooling.
Portable Heat Pump
The easiest type of heat pump to install in your home is a portable model. In fact, you don’t really “install” it in the traditional sense – you just plug it in and get started. As the name would suggest, you can move this type of unit around to various spots in your home, using it when and where you need it.
As you might expect, the big advantage of this type of heat pump is cost. With no installation to pay for, and only a small portable unit to purchase, you can get started for a very minimal investment. What you gain in cost savings, however, you sacrifice in performance. A small portable unit simply can’t provide the same kind of heating or cooling that is offered by a larger piece of equipment. And, you’ll only be serving a single room, so the rest of the home will still be warmer or cooler than you desire. These kinds of portable units have their place, but they are limited in what they provide.
Mini-Split Heat Pump
This next option is a big upgrade from a portable unit. With a mini-split, you have two pieces of equipment that come together to serve one of the rooms in your home – an indoor and outdoor unit. Pipes run through the wall to connect the two units, so the heat can be transferred efficiently between inside and outside, and no ducts are required.
While still only serving one room, you can expect far better performance from this mini-split system than what you will get from a portable version. By locating the indoor unit near the top of one of the walls in the room, the warmed or cooled air should distribute nicely. You can, of course, choose which room you would like to benefit from the service of this system, with the living room or master bedroom being popular choices.
Multi-Split Heat Pump
With this last option, you are utilizing the same type of system as we discussed above, only now you will serve more than one room in the house. There is still just one outdoor unit – although it will need to be bigger if you are dealing with more than one room – but you’ll have an indoor unit mounted in multiple rooms. So, for example, you might choose to have an indoor unit in the living room, master bedroom, and one additional bedroom. This type of system will require the largest investment of those we have highlighted, but the performance will make your home a far more comfortable place to live.
Whether you already know which type of ductless heat pump you want to purchase, or you need some help making that choice, the next step is the same – reach out to Walker Air • Plumbing • Electric to get started. Our expert team is happy to provide whatever assistance is needed to make sure the equipment you choose is installed correctly and working properly. Thank you for stopping by!
