Ductless mini split has been becoming much more popular over the last twenty years. But, it’s still not nearly as commonplace as furnaces, ductwork, radiators, or traditional air conditioners. As a result, people hear a lot about what it does. But, they’re not sure what it will look like in their home. Long story short: these systems take up less room than traditional setups. And, we’re often able to tuck the component away and out of sight.
Mini Split Components
Heat Pumps
This component resembles compressors for central air conditioning you often see outside homes. But, these have a much smaller footprint. They’re shorter and narrower. Quieter, too — we’ll get into all those specs a little later. The heat pump is responsible for sending heat into the house in the winter and removing it in the summer.
Air Handlers
Inside, you have the air handlers that circulate the air. They come in a few different designs. But, what they all have in common is that they’re equipped with thermostats. This feature is significant because you install a different handler in every area of the house you want to treat. This way, if you’re using ductless for your entire home — as opposed to one or two rooms — then each zone of the house has independent temperature control.
Line Sets
The final components are the refrigerant and condensate lines, and power supply cords. The system works by sending refrigerant in a closed loop between the pump and air handlers. It travels through a flexible, skinny line connecting the two. Then, there’s a separate line for condensation. As the system dehumidifies, water vapor enters the handler and turns back into a liquid. The condensate line collects that water, so it drains outside. Finally, the power cords supply electricity to the various components. In most cases, the set travels through in between rafters. This way, you don’t see them inside.
How Big Are the Parts of a Mini Split?
In particular, heat pumps can come in a few different sizes. The model depends on how many indoor units it supports and how much power your home needs. And, different manufacturers produce models with slightly different dimensions. But, they’re all similar.
How Big Is a Heat Pump?
The most common heat pumps are two feet tall, 32 inches wide, and a foot deep. A model that size usually accommodates up to two indoor units. The next model up is around the same height and width. But, it’s two feet deep. Other models are twice as high. They look as if there are two on top of each other. Usually, you only need a foot or so of clearance from the unit to your house. And, some models have a side-discharge. So, you can get it very close to the house, as long as there’s nothing next to it.
How Big is an Air Handler?
Air handlers are a little trickier because there are a few different types. But, we’ll start with the most common models.
High-wall, or wall-mounted models
We’ll mount this high on the wall, near the ceiling. If there’s a window in the room, we often line up the unit with the top of the window. By keeping a straight line, it’s less noticeable. And, we can tuck it in a corner to keep it even further out of sight. These units do such an excellent job of circulating air that they don’t need a lot of room around them.
Low-wall, or floor units
The average model is 27 inches tall, 32 inches wide, and about a foot deep. It’s the larger of the two. But, since it’s near the floor, it stays out of sight.
Other Types of Air Handlers
There are a few other options, too. Namely: Recessed ceiling cassettes and short-run ducts. A cassette gets installed in the ceiling and is flush, so you don’t notice it. And, we use a crawl space or similarly enclosed area for a ducted unit. This larger model runs a few short-run ducted lines.
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