Ductless AC Unit Does What Traditional Unit Can’t

Many central AC systems have fins on their vents, which are designed to be adjusted by using a sliding switch. They can then direct airflow at the angle you want, or you can push the switch all the way to one side and it will be closed entirely. This makes many homeowners assume that they’re saving energy by closing vents in rooms they’re not using. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. In fact, doing so can actually not only increase utility bills but increase the cost of future repairs.

Why doesn’t this option work?

The idea makes sense in theory – if you’re not letting air escape into the vents in one room then it will take less energy to treat air that’s needed for the rest of the home. The reason it doesn’t work is pretty simple: That’s not how central air is set up to work.

Think of central air conditioning like a respiratory system. It needs adequate airflow to work and most systems are made in a way that any change in airflow can choke it and put more strain on each component of the system. That’s exactly what closing your vents does. It puts pressure on your ducts, which increases across the entire A/C system and make it work harder.

This can lead to the same issues you’d have if you had a dirty air filter. It can use more energy, can increase your utility bills, can stress fans, can put pressure on motors, and can lead to more frequent need for repairs.

Fortunately, there is a solution that works the way you want it to

For many homeowners, the fact that they can’t shut off rooms from their unit is frustrating. Why should they pay to cool or heat rooms they’re not using? It’s a valid question, but unfortunately the answer they get is often: That’s just the way AC units are designed to work.

At AC-World we’re here to tell you that this answer is false. Yes, that may be the way central air and forced heat is designed to work but those aren’t the only options. A multi-zone ductless system offers exactly the type of solution these homeowners are looking for. With several units installed within the home, and a single compressor outside, homeowners can set different temperatures in different zones of their home – or can turn one or more zones off entirely.