If you’re considering installing a ductless heat pump in your McKinney area home, you’re taking a step in the right direction. Compact ductless heat pumps offer many installation options to accommodate potential space constraints and interior designs. Moreover, ductless heat pump efficiency ratings and performance are sure to please your energy budget and comfort needs. Keep reading to learn how ductless efficiency ratings have earned high marks for homeowners around the world for decades.

What Are Ductless Heat Pumps?

Ductless heat pumps are all-in-one air conditioning systems that provide efficient home cooling, heating and dehumidification. Like their larger central heat pump cousins, ductless heat pumps manipulate refrigerant to transfer heat into or out of the home. Following are the basic components of ductless systems:

• • A low-profile indoor air-handling unit (AHU) may be mounted to the surface of a wall, ceiling or floor. The AHU may also be recessed into the ceiling and wall, or concealed in building cavities with only the supply registers visible.
  • The compact outdoor cabinet houses the compressor, condenser and fan. The cabinet is mounted to a firm surface, such as a small concrete pad, paver stones, a rooftop or mounted to the home.
  • A piping system contains the refrigerant lines, condensate line and power cables. Only a small 3- to 4-inch hole is required in the exterior wall for the piping to connect the outdoor cabinet to the indoor AHU.
  • Most ductless systems include a handheld wireless control. You may also have a hard-wired wall-mounted control or linked to a < a href=”/blog/wifi-thermostats-let-you-leave-home-in-confidence”>WiFi thermostat system.

Importance of Efficiency Ratings

Ductless heat pump efficiency ratings provide a tool to help you choose the right system to serve your needs. The following tips can help you make the most of your home investment:

• • • Compare systems: Savvy shoppers today are just as likely to compare efficiency ratings as sticker prices. The yellow EnergyGuide label makes it easy for consumers to quickly compare ductless heat pump efficiency ratings between systems. The EnergyGuide label lists valuable information, such as estimated annual energy cost of similar models displayed as an easy-to-read line graph and estimated annual operating cost using national average for electricity prices.
    • Estimate lifetime costs: Ductless heat pump efficiency ratings really go to work for you to help determine the lifetime costs of contending ductless systems. Your HVAC technician calculates lifetime cost by adding initial purchase and installation costs, estimated operating costs and estimated maintenance from day one through the ductless system’s estimated life span. This is the true cost of your investment.
    • Estimate return on investment (ROI): Once you have the lifetime cost figures, your HVAC pro can tell you the ROI for higher-efficiency ductless heat pumps. The ROI is the estimated length of time it takes a higher-efficiency system to pay off its higher sticker price through energy savings, compared to energy expenditures of lesser-efficient models.
    • Match ductless heat pump efficiency to the application: The lifetime cost and ROI estimates are used to help select the right ductless system for the intended application. Consider how often you’re going to be operating the ductless heat pump. Higher efficiency ratings are suggested with frequent or daily use. If the ductless system will be used only on occasion, you may be better off with a mid-efficiency ductless system. For instance, if the ductless unit will be used daily in a retrofitted bedroom or home office, a high-efficiency unit offers a nice ROI. If the ductless system will be used less frequently, such as for a guest room or pool house, the extra cost of a high-efficiency system may not be the best investment. Make sure your HVAC contractor knows the intended usage of the system for accurate lifetime cost and ROI calculations.

Ratings That Reflect Ductless Heat Pump Efficiency

• • • SEER – The seasonal energy efficiency ratio indicates the cooling efficiency of any heat pump system, including central heat pumps. It’s calculated by factoring the estimated cooling output by electricity input for the duration of the cooling months. A higher SEER number indicates greater ductless heat pump efficiency, such as 23 SEER (high efficiency) and 16 SEER (mid efficiency).
    • HSPF – The heating seasonal performance factor indicates heat pump heating efficiency. Similar to SEER, the HSPF is a factor of the estimated heating output by electricity input for the duration of the heating months. If you’re in need of a ductless heat pump with high heating efficiency, look for a ductless model with 10 HSPF.
    • CEE – The Consortium For Energy Efficiency (CEE) is an organization consisting of energy efficiency experts, professionals and administrators from the United States and Canada. The organization engages in commercial, residential and industrial industries to advocate reduced energy usage through development and promotion of energy efficiency initiatives, programs and energy-efficient products.CEE employs a tier system to assist consumers to easily identify the energy efficiency of a product. You can identify an efficient ductless heat pump if it is listed in either of the CEE Tier 2 and CEE Tier 3 Advanced categories. Ductless heat pump systems in CEE Tier 2 must meet or exceed 15 SEER for cooling efficiency and 8.5 HSPF for heating efficiency. CEE provides a verified directory of energy-efficient ductless heat pumps (and other HVAC equipment) for reference, and CEE includes a list of Energy Star-certified products.
    • Energy Star program – The federal Energy Star program was established in 1992 as a joint effort by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). It’s a voluntary program designed to provide a platform for the development and marketing of manufacturing technologies and strategies which reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution levels.
    • The blue Energy Star logo and labeling program helps consumers save energy with higher quality products and appliances that have met or exceeded stringent energy-efficiency testing performed by certified third parties. The Energy Star program has proven very successful, and it’s recognized internationally.

      The Energy Star Most Efficient program, officially adopted in 2012, identifies and advances the most efficient products among those that are Energy Star qualified. Products that receive Most Efficient recognition must be truly exceptional, cutting edge and consistent with the vision of environmentally-driven consumers.

Advantages of Ductless System Performance

Ductless heat pump systems were developed in Japan during the 1970s to provide a practical method to cool and heat rooms with limited space. Ductless heat pumps offer advantages and superior performance to other cooling and heating alternatives. Following outlines the performance, installation, comfort and efficiency advantages of ductless systems:

• • • Ductless systems may generally be installed in a single day.
    • By using a thin piping system to move heat energy in and out of the home, ductless heat pumps are less intrusive than extending ductwork into new additions and retrofits.
    • Ductless systems may save up to 20 percent energy compared to forced-air central systems simply because there are no air ducts, which are notorious energy wasters. When you consider a high-efficiency ductless unit is substantially more efficient than a standard central system, you stand to save even more energy dollars.
    • Ductless advantages weigh in nicely compared to alternatives, such as window units, portable heaters and baseboard heating. Window units pose a security risk and may allow access for insects and outside elements. Window units are also unattractive.

Baseboard heating is generally not as efficient as ductless heating, and you’ll still need to install a separate cooling system. Portable heaters are handy and can be moved around to different rooms if needed. But they’re generally inefficient compared to ductless heat pump efficiency. Like baseboard heating, you’ll need a separate cooling system with portable heating.

• • • Each AHU of ductless systems comprises a zone. Zoned temperature control offers greater comfort for occupants and can help drive energy savings by cooling and heating only as needed.
    • A dehumidification mode helps reduce indoor moisture, which can damage home structure, wooden furnishings and possessions.
    • Many ductless systems offer five fan speeds and oscillating options for better comfort and airflow.
    • The flexible piping connecting the outdoor cabinet and indoor AHU may extend up to 66 feet. This provides homeowners with more options for installation locations.
    • Ductless systems offer cooling and heating solutions for many needs, such as vacation homes, rental properties, offices, home offices, sun rooms, supplemental conditioning, garages, guest houses, retrofits and new additions.
    • Variable-speed inverter-driven compressors offer whisper-quiet operation that won’t disturb you or the neighbors.

Learn more about ductless heat pump efficiency and performance for Bill Joplin’s Air Conditioning & Heating, or contact us today at 888-414-4655.