Ductless Mini-Split AC Services in Phoenix, AZ

Similar to central air conditioners, ductless ACs (or mini-splits) pull in warm air from your home, absorb the heat and moisture, and then transfer that heat and moisture outside. Ductless AC units are designed to cool an individual room rather than an entire home, making them more efficient if you use a particular part of your house more than others. Ductless AC units rely on three components to function:

1. The evaporator unit: The thin units are typically about 3 feet long and mounted on the wall in the room they are cooling. Their job is to suck in warm air and blow cold air back out.
2. The conduit: This houses the power cable, refrigerant tubing, and a condensate drain, connecting the indoor unit to the outdoor unit.
3. The condenser: This refers to the outside unit, which receives all of the heat from the house and transfers it to the outside.

This three-part system allows ductless AC units to cool individual rooms within a home without the ductwork required for central air conditioning.

Ductless AC systems offer more cooling capabilities than central air while also proving to be impressively efficient. Many ductless systems have a great seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER), which means they’ll keep your home cool without wasting energy. Due to their targeted cooling capabilities, ductless AC is ideal for harder-to-cool areas like sunrooms or newly finished home additions. Since they only cool where you need it most, they give you a lot more control over the amount of energy you use.

Ductless heat pumps are measured in what’s known as British thermal units (BTU), which can be easily calculated if you know the size of the room you’re wanting to cool. Simply multiply the room’s length by its width to get your square footage. Next, multiply this square footage number by 25. The resulting number is output in BTU that you’ll need to effectively heat or cool your room, so knowing this number is a great way to decide on the size of your ductless system.

For instance, if you have a room of 100 square feet to 200 square feet, you will need the BTU output of your ductless heat pump to be approximately 5,000. If you would like to cool a much larger room, say, 1,400 square feet, your BTU output would need to be upward of 35,000.

When it comes to how many indoor units needed for your ductless AC system, the general rule is one for every room you want to be cooled. Since these systems don’t use ductwork, they utilize multiple air handlers to push cold air directly to the room being served. Typically, you will only need one air handler per room, but the size of the air handler correlates directly with the size of the room. Larger rooms may call for a bigger air handler unit to effectively cool the entire area, while smaller rooms can utilize a smaller unit to maintain a comfortable temperature.

Ductless mini-splits can be used anywhere you want to keep comfortable, but they’re perhaps most valuable in spaces that don’t have ductwork, such as room additions and garages.

Not only are ductless mini-splits an efficient choice for home cooling, they also have a service life well beyond a typical cooling system. While conventional cooling systems last about 12 to 15 years, you can count on your ductless AC system to last upward of 20 years if adequately maintained.

While the maintenance required for your ductless AC system will vary depending on your manufacturer and model, there are several things that should be handled regardless of the system you choose to cool your home, including:

• Regular dust and debris removal: This will prevent damage to the internal components of your unit to make sure the exterior remains clean. Routinely wiping your unit down with a cloth or gentle cleanser will help dust and dirt from making its way inside.
• Cleaning the filter: You will need to either vacuum or clean your unit’s air filter with warm water and a mild detergent every month. This keeps your system operating at maximum efficiency, prolonging the service life of your ductless system.
• Make sure the airflow is unrestricted: While ductless mini-splits require less space than a traditional cooling system, you should still ensure a clearance of at least 4 feet to maintain an unrestricted flow.
• Inspect and clean the outdoor condensing unit. You should inspect the refrigerant lines and insulation wraps for general wear or leaks on your outdoor unit. If you’re unsure how to do this, you can always enlist the help of your local professionals!

Each mini-split unit in your home will have its own filter. Turn the air handler off and list the front panel to access the filter — you can easily slide it out of the unit.

You can vacuum or wash it with water and detergent — though make sure to dry it before returning it to the unit and closing it back up.

Be sure to reference your manufacturer’s manual for more insight into the specifics of this process and any unique requirements for your model.

Your thermostat settings might be wrong, so ensure it’s set to cool and an appropriate temperature.

Your air filter might be clogged, but you can easily clean and replace it.

Call a plumber for repair if your mini-split is still blowing cold air. You might have a refrigerant leak, a clogged condenser coil, or another issue.