People who have an interest in vent free
air cooling solutions can read this and learn all about ductless multi zone air
conditioners and how they function. On the surface, they may appear to be
similar in functionality to regular ventless units that have been explained at
length in previous articles on this site but dig a little deeper and you will
discover some fascinating differences.
Whole House Air Cooling Solution
The first thing that you will notice about
these setups is that they incorporate several units placed at strategic points
around the home, qualifying them with the "multi-zone" label. They
are computer controlled to insure the correct level of cooling in each room
according to occupation.
That means the system will not waste energy
cooling unoccupied spaces in your home, thus reducing power consumption
dramatically. This is an important consideration in this day and age when fuel
costs continue to rise at an alarming rate.
Not Portable
The next thing that you'll notice is that
these systems are not made up of portable units as with individual evaporative
cooling units described in previous articles here. In fact, these systems are
comprised of true, two part air conditioning units that expel hot air to the
outside via fanned condenser units mounted outside.
They use non-ozone depleting refrigerant
gas in their system, making them kinder to the environment while still being
able to provide highly efficient cooling in all climates including high
humidity (where swamp coolers fall down).
Not Evaporative (Swamp) Coolers
While swamp coolers are excellent for
cooling spaces in areas of low humidity and extremely cheap to run in
comparison with true air conditioning systems, these multi zone systems offer a
viable alternative for those living in humid climates. Costs are higher than
evaporative solutions, but lower than conventional ducted aircon systems
(HVAC).
These ductless split air conditioners and
heat pumps offer a heating solution in winter as well as a cooling one in
summer, making them highly versatile. However, heating by electricity is still
an expensive method and one that should be considered before deciding on one of
these systems.
Installation Considerations
Installing a system like this can be far
less invasive than conventional HVAC, although it still requires creating exit
vents to the outside for the inner and outer units to be connected through
exterior walls. There is no unsightly ducting (or extensive remodelling to
disguise ducting inside ceiling space or boxed into walls) making these units
far more aesthetically suitable in a home.
Vent holes are created behind the internal
unit, making it invisible to an occupant. Similarly, the exterior unit is
placed over the exit vent making it invisible from the outside. Units run much
more quietly than older systems, which is another important consideration.
Dehumidification
Another important aspect of this kind of
setup is its ability to dehumidify the indoors air in areas of high humidity.
This can become an important consideration where long periods of very high
humidity can create problems in the home.
These problems include damp forming in
walls and ceilings, mold growing in closets and cupboards and an uncomfortable
living atmosphere. By effectively extracting the humidity and expelling to the
outside, this type of system becomes so much more than simply an effective
cooling and heating solution.
Conclusion
While a ductless multi-zone air cooling
(and heating) system will cost considerably more to install and run than a
comparable evaporative system, it has several benefits especially for people
who live in climates with high humidity where evaporative units are not so
effective. This is a consideration that must be explored in this case as costs
will still be lower than with a conventional heating, ventilation and air
conditioning installation.
While truly ventless air coolers are
effective, cheap to run and highly versatile in dry climates, not everyone can
enjoy their benefits. That makes a true aircon system that can run at a much
lower cost than conventional ducted systems a viable alternative where humidity
is a problem. The choice, in the end, is up to the buyer as always.
