Ductless Air
Air Conditioning Options: Central, Ductless, or Through-the-Wall
Tom Kraeutler, home improvement expert and host of the nationally syndicated Money Pit Home Improvement Radio, answers questions and provides helpful tips on air conditioners for your home.
Question:
I would like to install air conditioning on the 1st floor of my 2 story home. I have casement style windows that swing out so I can’t install a window unit. I could install central air, but I don’t use the 2nd floor of the house. The windows are 10 yr old Anderson. Should I replace 1 window with a double hung window so I can fit in an air conditioner or go for central air?
Answer:
My first choice for energy efficiency, as well overall comfort, would be to install a central air conditioning system. These systems can be “zoned” so they will only cool one floor of the home and not both. However, you certainly should plan on both and discuss that with your contractor as it may be less costly to install some of the ducting to “get ready” for cooling the second floor at some point in the future.
Another option might be to install a through-the-wall air conditioning unit. Many of the larger units are available with wall mounted sleeves. To install, you’d need to cut a hole in the exterior wall and frame it out the same way you’d frame an opening for a window or door. It is very important to do this correctly, as you will be impacting the structural integrity of the house. Also, this type of system will very likely cause a heat loss in the winter as it is very difficult to seal it to prevent cold air leaking in.
A better option, which cost-wise will be in between the cost of a central system and a through-the-wall mounted portable, might be ductless air conditioning. I have Fujitsu ductless air conditioning system like this in my office and the ductless air conditioning system works extremely well as a supplement to my central system, which doesn’t fully extend into the office space. With ductless air conditioning, you have a wall blower that hangs on the inside wall of your home. This is connected via a refrigerant line to a small compressor which sits outside, just like a central system. The compressor supplies chilled refrigerant to the blower inside, which circulates the cooled air.
Given the above, my choice would be (1) central; (2) ductless; (3) through-the-wall.
Regardless of what you ultimately decide, you should be certain to choose the most energy efficient air conditioning unit possible. Energy Star has an excellent new program called Cool Your World With Energy Star @ Home that can help you understand cooling efficiency and options.
About the Author
Tom Kraeutler is the Host, Founder and Chief Home Improvement Evangelist of The Money Pit. He is a hands-on home improvement broadcast journalist and the kind of guy homeowners want to call at midnight when their basement floods. He first earned his home improvement stripes as a professional home inspector, amassing over 20 years experience learning how houses are put together, and how they fall apart!
Mitsubishi Mr. Slim Ductless Air Conditioner
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Pridiom 13 Seer Ductless Split Air Conditioner 12000BTU $947.00 |
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MUA12WA / MSA12WA Mitsubishi 12,000 BTU 13 SEER Ductless Air Conditioner System $1,149.00 |
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12000 Btu Solar Air Conditioner Heat Pump ductless mini $1,999.00 |
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9000 BTU Air Conditioner Heat Pump Ductless Mini Split $499.00 |
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3 Ton Tri Zone Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioner – 36000 BTU: 9000 x 2 + 18000 $2,999.45 |
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2 Ton DC Inverter Mini Split Ductless Air Conditioner $1,359.00 |
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LSU181HSV / LSN181HSV LG 18,000 BTU 18 SEER Ductless Heat Pump Air Conditioner $1,658.00 |
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LSU360HV / LSN360HV LG 33,100 BTU 16.1 SEER Ductless Heat Pump Air Conditioner $2,522.00 |
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Ductless Mini Split 9000 Air Conditioner A/C Cooling + Heat Pump Soleus KFTHP-09 $328.23 |
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Ductless Mini Split 12000 Air Conditioner A/C Cooling Heat Pump Soleus KFTZHP-12 $360.55 |
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wall mount bracket for ductless mini split air conditioner $38.99 |
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3 Ton 3 Zone 16SEER Mini Split Ductless Air Conditioner $2,667.00 |
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24000 BTU 2 ton PIONEER Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioner with Installing Kit $858.00 |
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36000 BTU KLIMAIRE Inverter Ductless Mini Split Heat Pump Air Conditioner 15SEER $2,751.00 |
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30000 BTU KLIMAIRE Inverter Ductless Mini Split Heat Pump Air Conditioner 16SEER $2,291.00 |
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12000 BTU LG Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioner SEER 13 COOL/HEAT Standard Unit $1,379.99 |
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24000 BTU KLIMAIRE Inverter Ductless Mini Split Heat Pump Air Conditioner 16SEER $1,481.00 |
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18000 BTU KLIMAIRE Inverter Ductless Mini Split Heat Pump Air Conditioner 17SEER $1,399.00 |
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18000 BTU LG Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioner SEER 13 COOL/HEAT Standard Unit $1,699.99 |
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24000 BTU LG Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioner SEER 13 COOL/HEAT Standard Unit $1,799.99 |
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12000 BTU KLIMAIRE Inverter Ductless Mini Split Heat Pump Air Conditioner 16SEER $1,027.00 |
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Dual Zone Ductless Split Air Conditioner SEER 16 12+12 $1,899.00 |
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Dual Zone Ductless Split Air Conditioner SEER 16 9+9 $1,799.00 |
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Dual Zone Ductless Split Air Conditioner SEER 16 9+12 $1,799.00 |
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Ductless Mini Split 18000 Air Conditioner A/C Heat Pump Inverter KFMHP-18 Dual $660.00 |
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Ductless Mini Split 22,000 Air Conditioner Heat Pump + Inverter Tech KFHHP-22 $305.00 |
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Ductless Mini Split 3 x 12000 Air Conditioner A/C + Heat Pump YMGI Tri-Zone $4,140.00 |
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Ductless Mini Split 2 x 9000 + 12000 Air Conditioner A/C Heat Pump YMGI Tri-Zone $3,865.00 |
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30,000 BTU Mini Split Air Conditioner & Heat Pump – 2.5 TON 30000 Ductless AC $2,042.00 |
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Ductless Mini Split 2 x 9000 Air Conditioner Cooling + Heat Pump YMGI Dual Zone $2,490.00 |
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Ductless Mini Split 2 x 12000 Air Conditioner Cooling + Heat Pump YMGI Dual Zone $2,760.00 |
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Ductless Mini Split 2 x 18000 Air Conditioner Cooling + Heat Pump YMGI Dual Zone $3,765.00 |
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Ductless Mini Split 2 x 24000 Air Conditioner Cooling + Heat Pump YMGI Dual Zone $4,539.00 |
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Ductless Mini Split 2 x 30000 Air Conditioner Cooling + Heat Pump YMGI Dual Zone $5,700.00 |
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BRAND NEW DUCTLESS PORTABLE 7000 BTU AIR CONDITIONER $349.95 |
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12000 BTU Energy Star Mini Ductless Split Air Conditioner – Heater : 12,000 $972.00 |
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18000 BTU Energy Star Mini Ductless Split Air Conditioner : 18,000 BTU 19+ SEER $1,241.00 |
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19 SEER Mini Split Air Conditioner Ductless AC – Heat Pump, Inverter ENERGY STAR $1,012.00 |
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Universal A/C remote control model: Q-338 $22.95 Universal A/C Remote Control… |
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Performance of ductless personalized ventilation in conjunction with displacement ventilation: impact of workstations layout and partitions.(Report): An article from: HVAC & R Research $9.95 This digital document is an article from HVAC & R Research, published by Taylor & Francis Ltd. on January 1, 2010. The length of the article is 11327 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.From the author: The performance of a new personalized… |
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Broan 413004 Economy 30-Inch Two-Speed Non-Ducted Range Hood, Stainless Steel $63.50 Broan 4130 41000 Series Two-Speed Ducted Range Hood Installs as Non-Ducted Only with Charcoal Filter Accepts Up to 75 Watt LightBulb Not Included… |
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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 at 4:12 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.