Question:
Does anyone know about this type of system? I live in Michigan and I have a
two story house whose upstairs doesn't get cool enough with the central air
system. I read about ductless systems and would like to know more. Can it be
used just for my upstairs? How does it work? Are they easy to install? How
expensive are they to operate? Who makes them? Also I would like to
supplement the heat upstairs in the winter. Some systems also contain heat
pumps. How do they work?
Answer:
Jim Dulley (www.dulley.com) has a bulletin on ductless air conditioners.
There was also an article on them in This Old House Magazine recently
(sorry, don't know what issue). I'm looking to have central A/C installed
in a house with hot-water heat and have done a bunch of research.
It can be used for just the upstairs and would likely do well for a smaller,
restricted space like that. You may end up turning off the vents to the
upstairs from the central a/c though, and I don't know how that would impact
the usefulness of the sizing of your current unit.
They work like this. You get a compressor outside, and they run coolant
lines to blower units installed in the wall. They are quieter than window
a/c, but noiser than central (assuming a good central install). They are
easier to install than installing ductwork in a house that doesn't have
them. I also think they have heat pumps for using them with heating as
well.
dulley's article lists manufacturers and other info.
