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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Ductless Mini-Split?

Every day, ductless units are becoming more and more popular. Even though these units have been in use for many years world-wide, they are still new to many US homeowners. Find-out what you need to know.

Q: What makes up a ductless mini split system?

A ductless mini split system is an indoor fan, referred to as the head, and an outdoor compressor unit. The head measures about 11 inches high, 34 inches long and 12 inches deep and connects with the compressor by copper tubing and electrical wiring that’s passed through a 3-inch hole. The compressor looks like a small central air condenser and can cool and heat one or more rooms.

Q: What are the advantages of installing a ductless mini split system over a central air conditioning?

For starters, you’ll get:

More control. With central air, you must cool an entire house even if you want only one room cooled. Offering room-by-room control, ductless mini split systems cool (or heat) only the areas you want. Room-by-room temperature control alone produces savings for many homeowners.

Ease of use. Most homes either lack zones or have complex zoning systems that make them expensive or confusing to operate. With a ductless mini split system, multiple heads make zoning as simple as setting a TV remote control.
Less energy waste. While a typical central air unit puts out a minimum fixed 18,000 BTU of cooling power, a ductless mini split system’s output can be adjusted between 9,000 BTU and 24,000 BTU. (Note: The BTU, or British Thermal Unit, is a unit of cooling or heating power.) Additionally, the ducts in conventional systems can lose up to 25 percent of the energy produced; ductless mini split systems conserve 95 percent, because the energy is transported through insulated lines.

Better aesthetics, easier installation. Retrofitting homes for central air conditioning requires cutting holes in walls, floors and ceilings or losing valuable closet space to make room for ducts. A ductless mini split system requires just a three-inch hole in an outside wall to connect the compressor and head.

Q: Can I heat and cool my entire home with a ductless system?

In most instances, an entire home can be very efficiently and effectively heated and cooled with a ductless system. For larger homes, either multiple single-zone units or a multi-zone unit can be installed with one outdoor unit and multiple indoor units. They can be installed in new homes as the sole source of heating and cooling. They can also be used to completely replace or work in conjunction with an existing ducted system.

Q: How does the price compare to a conventional system?

It is difficult to answer this question because we're not comparing "Apples-to-Apples". But to put it as simply as possible - ductless products are generally a bit more expensive than conventional heating and cooling equipment, but the lower installation costs, higher efficiency and advanced features often make ductless systems the more cost-effective option.

Q: What color do ductless mini split systems come in?

To rephrase Henry Ford, you can have whatever color you want – as long as it’s off-white. Sorry, but that’s currently the only color available for our indoor ductless mini split heads.

Q: Can I paint the ductless mini split unit?

No. We don’t recommend that, because it would void your warranty.

Q: What is the warranty?

That depends on the model you select. Our Mitsubishi products have a 10-year warranty on parts and 12-year warranty for the compressor.

Q: How noisy is a ductless mini split?

In general, the sound generated by a head is equivalent to whispering in a library (between 21 and 30 decibels). The sound from an outdoor unit is more like normal conversation (60 decibels) but is much less than a conventional air conditioning condenser.

Q: Can my system work when it rains or snows?

Yes. The outdoor compressor is designed to work in rain and snow, hot or cold.

Q: Do ductless units require auxiliary heat?

Unlike a conventional heat pump system, our ductless units do not have auxiliary heaters. The standard ductless models will provide heating down to an outdoor temperature of -4 deg F. The new "HyperHeat" models provide 100% heating capacity at 5 deg. F and continue to provide heating down to -13 deg F. In many applications, the ductless units alone will provide sufficient heating all winter without the need for auxiliary heat. However, we are recommending that customers have a separate source of "backup" heat for extreme temperatures - just to be safe.

Our focus and specialty is quality installation, service and repair of heating and air conditioning systems - both residential and commercial.

For more than 45 years, GHAC, Inc. has been the trusted name in HVAC for customers all across the Tri-State.

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