We install and service ductless air conditioning in Delaware and Maryland as part of our effort to improve comfort for our customers. Ductless systems—which, as heat pumps, also work as heating systems—are beneficial in numerous ways. For older homes lacking ductwork, they’re a way to enjoy central heating and cooling without putting in ducts. They allow for the easy conversion of attics and garages into cooled/heated living spaces. They make it simple to provide comfort to add-on rooms. They can lower energy consumption while giving a home zone control.
But you may not have known that ductless systems can also improve the air quality in a house!
“Wait, how does that work?”
It sounds odd that putting in a ductless system would affect air quality. In fact, because people often think of air filtration systems as something that’s installed within ducts, it would seem that without ducts it would be harder to find ways to improve air quality.
But ducts are often the problem with indoor air quality. Getting rid of the ducts from the ventilation system in a home removes one of the biggest obstacles toward cleaner and healthier air.
The daunting ductwork dilemma
A general truth about ductwork: it gets dusty and dirty. Any surface will collect dust if it’s not cleaned often enough. In the case of ducts, they are exposed to more dust and other airborne particles than other parts of the house. The ventilation system circulates all the air of your home multiple times per day, which means a great deal of the dust, lint, dander, etc. in your house circulates through that same system. The air filter on a standard HVAC system catches some of these particles (enough to protect the interior of the AC and heater), but an average of 40 pounds of dust can circulate through the HVAC system of a six-person home in only a year.
A lot of this dust and other debris ends up caught along the duct linings. In fact, you only need to look at the vent registers in rooms to see this happening: you’ll find strands of dust along registers that haven’t been dusted off recently. Inside the ducts is much more of this. Regular duct cleaning removes this build-up, but it will keep starting over.
Now imagine each time the blower fan of the HVAC system turns on, whether to heat, cool, or simply move air with the fan. What happens? A big blast of dust and more from the ducts billows out from the vents. If you notice a dusty smell each time you turn on the AC or heater, it’s the dust from the ductwork.
Now, take away those ducts and …
Presto! You just removed a huge chunk of the dust circulating through your house! A ductless system doesn’t have a big reservoir of dust, lint, and other unwanted particles hanging around inside it, ready to be blasted out. You only have to clean the small filters inside the air handlers of the system to remove dust—that’s it! The air has fewer pollutants circulating, and you won’t have to worry about having the ducts cleaned out every few years.
At Atlantic Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, Inc. “We Take Pride in Your Comfort.” Schedule service to learn more about ductless mini split installation.