Adding Ducted Mini Splits to Existing HVAC Systems

Mini split systems are often the go-to HVAC devices for people without ducts running through their home or the room to install them. A simple installation process enables the delivery of cool or warm air to specific rooms or regions of the house without installing ducts or vents. What if you already have an HVAC system in your home with ductwork running under the floors and through the walls? You can still add mini splits! In fact, this addition can make your home much more comfortable and energy efficient. Here are a few facts about adding ducted mini splits to existing HVAC systems.

Hot and Cold

Not every room in your house has the same temperature. Here are a few factors that affect room temperature:

• Windows and doors (or no windows at all)
• Little or no insulation or ductwork in the walls
• Humidity
• Hot and cold patches from drafts
• Too much or too little sunlight

Luckily, adding a ducted split system to your HVAC can level the imbalances in these rooms and bring them up to snuff with the rest of the house.

Not so Fast…

Before installing a mini split system in a house with an existing HVAC system and ductwork, ponder the following stipulations. Can your home’s current electrical capacity handle the extra demand for juice? The mini split installer should be able to assess this and even install extra wiring and a new circuit in your breaker to handle the extra demand.

Space is another issue. If you don’t have the room for ducted mini splits, you can’t add the units. The installer should measure your home, inside and out, to determine if your property can accommodate the necessary indoor and outdoor equipment. If you’re more of a do-it-yourselfer, you’ll need to break out the tape measure and see to it for yourself.

When and Why?

Discussing the reasons why a house or rooms in a house might benefit from ductless HVAC/mini split heating and cooling is just theory, not practice. Homes and buildings that can benefit from mini split systems include vintage buildings that can’t accommodate ducts or have too much damage to their interiors. If you have a new addition to your home but are looking for a more economical way to heat or cool it without adding ducts, HVAC mini splits save the day again.

Those are the basics about adding ducted mini splits to existing HVAC systems. Call us with other questions or for a consultation on equipping your home with heat and/or cool air!