Are you considering an add-on in your home? Or maybe you’re thinking of finishing out a basement, garage or attic. Whatever you do, if you plan to use the room as habitable space you will need some way to heat and cool it.

There are a number HVAC options for your new space. Here are a few of them, including one of our favorites, mini-split systems:

Cooling:

• Window unit
• Extend ductwork for the air conditioner
• Portable air conditioner
• Ductless mini-split system

Heating:

• Space heater
• Baseboard
• Ceramic portable heater (non-venting)
• Extend ductwork for furnace
• Ductless mini-split

There are other options, but these are the primary ones to look at. You may have considered extending the ductwork for your HVAC system, but decided it would be technically unfeasible or else would cost too much, or perhaps your current system doesn’t have the needed capacity.

The other option that provides both heating and cooling is the ductless mini-split system.

Ductless mini-splits are actually a sound option for our part of the world. A type of heat pump that doesn’t need ducts to distribute the conditioned air, these systems do best when they are cooling or heating smaller spaces, and in areas where exterior temperatures rarely fall to freezing or below.

How a Mini-Split Works

Mini-splits, like regular heat pumps, use refrigerant to absorb heat indoors and exhaust it outdoors to cool, and vice versa for heating. They are composed of an outdoor condenser and an indoor air handler. The parts are connected by a conduit that holds the electrical and refrigerant lines.

The systems may accommodate up to four air handlers. The air handlers are available in designs that may be mounted on the floor, the wall or ceiling, or left free standing.

Other Features

Mini-split systems are known for being clean (no combustion), quiet and relatively efficient in small spaces and in temperate climates. But they are also relatively expensive, both in terms of the cost of the equipment and installation.

To learn more about mini-split systems, contact Powers Heating and Air. We serve Peachtree City and the surrounding area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 770-487-2040. 

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Name”