Ductless mini-split AC and heat pump systems are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to central air conditioning. That’s because they provide many benefits in terms of energy efficiency and temperature control that most central AC systems can’t compete with. If you’re thinking about installing a mini-split for your home or business, the most important factor is that the system is the right size. That’s because any type of mini-split can only cool so many square feet effectively.
Ductless Mini-Split Cooling Capacities
When looking at how many square feet of space a ductless mini-split AC system can cool, there isn’t a single answer. It all depends on the total capacity of the system’s condenser or heat pump. For a multi-zone system with more than one indoor unit, it also depends on the cooling capacity of each of the indoor air handler units.
The average single-zone system with one indoor air handler unit is 12,000 BTUs. A system this size can potentially cool around 500 to 600 square feet of space. However, it depends on where in the country you live since it can take more BTUs to cool the same amount of space in a hotter climate. The general recommendation is that you need a minimum of 20 BTUs per square foot to cool a space effectively. In Virginia, you sometimes need as much as 35 to 40 BTUs to cool one square foot. That means a 12,000-BTU mini-split may only effectively cool around 350 square feet.
You can determine the total square footage that a multi-zone mini-split system can cool in the same way. Where it gets tricky is that the air handlers in many systems aren’t all the same size. For instance, a five-zone system may have one larger 18,000-BTU air handler and four smaller 9,000-BTU units. The smaller units should effectively cool your bedrooms while the larger one would likely be capable of cooling anywhere from 500 to 900 square feet. That means the larger air handler could be capable of cooling both your kitchen and living room as long as it’s strategically located.
However, it depends in large part on the layout of your home and how well air can circulate between the different rooms. The unit will work well if you have an open floor plan, but walls and doorways that block airflow would prevent it from effectively cooling both areas. In this situation, it would cool the room it’s in extremely well but would struggle to remove heat from the other room and cool it. That means you’d be better off choosing a system with more zones and smaller air handlers so that you can install one in every room.
Distance Limitations for a Mini-Split System
When choosing a mini-split system, it’s important that you understand there are certain limitations. Specifically, there is a maximum distance that any of the air handlers can be from the condenser or heat pump unit outside. This is usually around 100 to 150 feet, depending on the size of the outdoor unit. There is also a maximum combined length of the refrigerant lines that run from the outdoor unit to each air handler. Both of these factors mean that the size and layout of your home as well as how many floors it has could make a difference.
If your home is larger, you usually will need more than one mini-split system to cool every part of it. Not only is this because of the distance limitations but also because the largest system currently available only has eight air handlers and can only cool eight zones. Even if you could get away with one large system, you’re often better to install two smaller systems instead. This is because a mini-split will always work more efficiently if all of the air handlers are as close to the outdoor unit as possible. The greater the distance that the compressor has to pump the refrigerant to the air handlers, the less efficiently it will cool, and the more electricity it will end up using.
How to Know if a Mini-Split System Is a Good Choice for Your Home
Many people believe that mini-split systems are only a good option when building a new home, putting an addition on a house or if the home doesn’t have central HVAC. Although these are the situations where mini-splits are most commonly used, they’re definitely not the only ones in which you may want to consider installing this type of system.
A mini-split can be a great choice for complementing your central air conditioning and improving your comfort. For instance, many homes with central air conditioning have issues with the basement feeling too cold in the summer and the upper floor feeling too hot. Adding a mini-split to help cool the upper floor would ensure it’s always more comfortable. It could also allow you to turn your thermostat up so that your basement doesn’t get as cold and your central AC doesn’t need to run as much. A single-zone mini-split is also a fantastic choice if you have a room with multiple skylights or large windows, and that room is always hotter than the other rooms in your house.
When your central AC unit needs to be replaced, switching to a mini-split can provide some fairly major benefits. Many mini-split systems are more energy-efficient than central air conditioners. That’s because the central AC system in many homes has various issues that contribute to it wasting energy or not being able to cool as well as it should. This includes things like uninsulated or poorly insulated ductwork in the attic or crawl space, air leaks in the ductwork, ducts that are undersized or oversized, or a ductwork system that is poorly designed.
Another major advantage a mini-split has over a standard central AC system is that the system is zoned. A zoned system cools each part of the home independently instead of always sending out cool air to every room. That means you don’t need to have every air handler running simultaneously. This can reduce energy usage since you can just close the door and shut off the air handler in any room you’re not using. Alternatively, you can just turn the temperature up higher to reduce how often the air handler has to run without risking the room getting too hot. Having zoned temperature control also allows you to avoid hot or cold spots in your house since each of the air handlers will only run as needed. You can also adjust the temperature in different parts of your home. For instance, if you prefer your bedroom much cooler, you can turn the temperature down at the air handler in that location without affecting the rest of your house.
As one of the leading HVAC companies in Sterling, Virginia, Meade’s Heating and Air is the resource to turn to for ductless mini-split installation. We offer a wide variety of single-zone and multi-zone ductless AC and heat pump systems, and our team will make sure the system you choose effectively meets the specific cooling needs of your home or business. We also install central air conditioners, heat pumps, and furnaces and offer expert HVAC repairs and maintenance as well. To learn more about your options for mini-split installation and whether this type of system is right for your building, contact us at Meade’s Heating and Air today.
