No doubt that as a Virginia homeowner, you’ve heard talk about heat pumps or mini splits. These electric heating and cooling systems offer an environmentally friendly alternative to combustion furnaces and boilers, while using a fraction of the energy.
But are there any downsides to scheduling mini split installation in your home? Do you live in the right climate to benefit the most from heat pump technology? Let’s explore the pros and cons of mini splits and solve this question for homeowners in Russell’s service area, including Suffolk, Chesapeake, and Newport News.
Well, actually—ductless mini split heat pumps (yes, they can go by a number of different names) function as both heating and cooling for your home. That’s just one of the benefits.
Ductless mini splits are a type of air source heat pump, an all-electric HVAC system that transfers heat instead of generating it. Heat pump technology can be used year-round to replace both your furnace and air conditioner, and it offers ultra high efficient operation, actually producing several times the amount of energy that it requires to run (for contrast, even the highest efficiency furnaces still only operate in the 95% range).
In addition to their dual-season performance capabilities, all heat pumps:
But ductless heat pumps, or mini splits, go even further. Without requiring a central ductwork system to operate, mini splits can be installed throughout your home, giving homeowners the opportunity to customize their heating and cooling preferences by room.
If some members of your family like it cooler (or warmer) than others, ductless mini splits will get the job done. You can also turn off mini splits in areas of your home you don’t use as often to reduce energy usage and save even more money.
Does your home fit the following criteria? If so, ductless mini splits could be a great match for you.
The indoor component of ductless mini splits only cover specific areas, making smaller homes with high home performance (good airtightness with sufficient insulation) the best candidates to benefit from heat pumps while keeping HVAC costs down.
That said, an increasingly popular alternative in larger homes are what are called hybrid systems, where a furnace works in tandem with ductless mini splits to lower energy costs in a home without sacrificing comfort during very cold weather.
While heat pump technology can still heat your home when it’s very cold out (impressively, as low as -13°F!), mini splits become less and less efficient as the temperatures drop, and homes in areas with bitter cold winters can struggle to produce enough heat to keep you comfortable throughout the entire winter (another reason why hybrid systems are becoming more common).
Heat pumps and mini splits are much more effective for homes with milder climates, like Virginia, where the average lows in December, January, and February remain above freezing. Under these conditions, heat pumps are much more efficient and can deliver reliable whole home comfort.
Russell’s is a Mitsubishi Diamond Dealer, and the Mitsubishi Electric mini splits we install in homes around the Hampton Roads area are among the best in the industry in efficiency and performance. If you’re looking for an air conditioning company in Virginia Beach that services mini splits, give our team of residential heating and cooling experts a call. From easy controls and energy savings to simple installation and customizable zone heating options, you’ll be glad you made the switch to a ductless mini split air conditioner heat pump system.