Ductless heating and air. What a concept! Eliminating the quagmire of sprawling ductwork underneath a home or building? It sounds too good to be true, but it is. HVAC industry figures confirm that ductless heating and cooling is soaring.
“It’s without question one of the fastest-growing segments in North American HVAC,” said Tom Lahutsky, senior product manager, Lennox Intl. Inc., in an online article in Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration News. “This growth, which means more units are being shipped, pulls all the manufacturers in.”
That’s great for HVAC business everywhere, but what exactly does ‘going ductless’ mean? Ductless heating and cooling systems utilize heat pump technology to distribute warm or cool air more quietly and efficiently than electric furnaces, baseboards, and wall heaters. An indoor unit, mounted on a centrally located wall in the home, works with your existing heating system. Just one ductless system is enough to heat and cool an average-sized home. An outdoor unit connects to the indoor unit with a small bundle of cables, including a refrigerant line, requiring only a three-inch wide hole for installation.
“The total available market for ductless products in North America is second only to light commercial in all HVAC categories,” said Jeff Peters, a ductless portfolio leader at Trane, in the same article. “Significant attention and energy is being expended to educate and create awareness in the marketplace.”
As more and more people become aware of the advantages of ductless products, the market will continue its upward climb.
“You’re going to see ductless continue to expand in the home and in multifamily environments as well,” noted Meredith Emmerich, general manager of ductless and VRF (variable refrigerant flow) systems for Carrier Corp. “It’s traditionally done very well in commercial applications, but homeowners are starting to understand there’s a solution for their needs….It’s a solution that can go in fairly easily that makes their homes much more comfortable.”
At Beaver Brothers, we’ve supplied our customers with trusted heating and air conditioning service for more than 95 years. We like to think that we wouldn’t be in business that long without paying attention to new innovations—like going ductless. Give us a call at (704) 637-9595 today and let our experts check out the condition of your heating system.