The concept of a ductless air conditioning system that is familiar in the world today has gradually evolved since being introduced en mass in the 1970s. Pioneered by Asian — predominantly Japanese — manufacturers, it was developed as a step up to the window unit. The main vision was the same: provide spot cooling to homes and buildings where a more complete, whole-system approach was either unfeasible due to space or financial constraints, but ultimately serving as a much friendlier cooling — and now more common heating — solution.
Originally offered solely as a wall-mounted indoor unit solution in system capacities of 7,000 Btuh to about 12,000 Btu/h, the ductless system delivered improved performance with greater efficiency (EER) and the beginnings of comfort “you control,” zone-by-zone. The ability to remotely locate the condensing section of the system, and thus remove the sound-bearing components from the occupied space, was a big positive in freeing up window space, and all units were provided with a user-friendly operation interface.
Heat Pump Technologies Are Evolving
Ductless heat pump systems earned a reputation for reliability in terms of service and maintenance. Today’s technology has further enhanced this reputation, with installations rarely experiencing issues. Whether it is a small system or a multi zone system — which was invented by Daikin in 1973 — these air conditioner systems are extremely energy efficient, requiring simply basic filter maintenance and condenser coil cleaning.
As the Japanese invention was gradually spread across the world, the demands that each region created, both in terms of sales and design, further improved the concept, allowing ductless air conditioners to become the standard of many countries’ HVAC choices.
Longer pipe lengths, improved height separation, broader operation temperature range in both cooling and heating modes, efficiency levels exceeding government-mandated minimum requirements, and user-friendly mobile controls were among the technological advancements of ductless ACs.
The most significant evolution of the ductless mini-splits happened with the introduction of the more sophisticated variable refrigerant volume (VRV) zone systems. These advancements provided a ductless solution for servicing whole-house residential applications with multi-split systems capable of serving up to five zones.
Constant Evolution of Ductless Air Conditioning Technology
Compressor technology transitioned from conventional to variable-frequency drive (VFD) inverter compressors, offering outstanding operating performance (full and partial load) for mini split heat pumps and close control of the desired comfort level. Improvement of the heating and cooling equipment reliability, and extended lifespan in the main focus.
Condensing fan motors were upgraded from direct-drive to VFD inverter types, which improved performance at the extremes of the ambient operation range and increased efficiency. To reduce indoor noise levels and power consumption, evaporator unit fan motors transitioned from direct-drive to direct-current (DC).
Heat exchanger technology has advanced to incorporate sophisticated high-performance coil designs with little surface area but high heat exchange to guarantee higher system capacity. Even with a tiny, packed unit, higher efficiency can be obtained. Self-diagnostic features assist the installing contractor and owner in addressing system errors and getting the equipment back to operational with as little downtime as possible.
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