If you’re in the market for a new heating or cooling system for your home, consider installing a ductless mini-split system. These units can function efficiently at temperatures down to -20 degrees Fahrenheit or more, making them an increasingly popular option for households across the nation. However, with the high electricity price, you may wonder if this type of system will use a lot of energy.

What Is a Ductless Mini-Split System?

Depending on the season, a ductless mini-split system uses heat pump technology to deliver hot or cold air throughout your home; unlike traditional HVAC systems, this system does not need ductwork. Instead, it uses multiple indoor air handler units. Each unit is equipped with its own blower components that work to pull in stale air from the room. The air gets filtered and brought up to the appropriate temperature and then returned to the room.

It’s important to note that each indoor air handler unit will work independently of the others. This means you could set your living room temperature at 70 degrees and your bedroom temperature at 67 degrees. All indoor air handler units will be connected to the main outdoor condenser via copper refrigerant lines.

Its Reliance on Electricity

Unlike other household heating systems, ductless mini-split systems don’t burn fuel to create heat. Instead, they rely solely on electricity to operate in heating and cooling modes. Because of this, there are no combustion products. It doesn’t require a ventilation system like a chimney, unlike other heating systems. This makes the ductless mini-split system’s operation much safer than other alternative heating system options.

Operating Efficiency

When you first understand that a ductless mini-split system only uses electricity to heat and cool your home, one of the first questions you likely have is how much electricity it uses. There’s no denying that electricity is more expensive from an input standpoint than other fuel types like natural gas or propane.

One of the best ways to determine how much electricity this type of system uses is to look at its operating efficiency. Ductless mini-split systems are slightly more efficient than traditional central air conditioning systems. Their ability to provide different temperatures for different areas of your home allows you to optimize your energy usage better than setting one central temperature for your entire home with a central air conditioning system.

Regarding heating your home, the ductless mini-split system will be the most efficient system on the market today. It can reach efficiency levels of up to 400%. The only type of system that can come close to this operating efficiency is an electric furnace at 100% efficiency. Undoubtedly, this type of system, whether running in heating or cooling mode, will offer the best efficiency out of all the HVAC systems available.

A Look at Wattage Draw

To help you better understand how much electricity your mini-split system will use, we will look at its total wattage requirements and compare that with other types of HVAC systems. Generally, most ductless mini-split systems require a wattage between 500 and 1500 every hour. The total consumption will vary depending on the size of the unit and the temperature. On average, let’s say that the typical ductless mini-split system uses about 800 watts per hour.

An electric furnace can use up to 6,000 watts of power, which is over six times what a typical mini-split system consumes. A central air conditioning system uses around 2,000 watts per hour, which is over double what a mini-split system uses. When considering these different types of systems, it becomes clear that the ductless mini-split system will use the least amount of energy.

Factors That Influence Your System’s Electricity Usage

Many different factors will affect the amount of electricity that your ductless mini-split system consumes. One of the most obvious is the overall size of your system. If you have a big home with multiple large rooms, your system will consume more electricity than a small home with just a few small indoor air handler units.

Additionally, your usage habits will affect your system’s electrical consumption. If you set the temperature fairly high in the winter or your system is running continuously, it will use more energy than if you set the temperature slightly lower. The same holds true for the summer.

Another factor that influences energy usage is your home environment. A well-insulated home with no air leaks will drastically reduce the amount of energy that your ductless mini-split system uses. If your insulation doesn’t meet the recommended R-value for your area or your home simply lacks insulation in general, then you’ll have higher electric bills to help keep your home at a comfortable temperature.

The same applies if your home has multiple air leaks around door and window frames that allow your heat to dissipate during the winter and your air conditioning during the summer.

What Are Some Benefits of a Ductless Mini-Split System?

While investing in a ductless mini-split system can be a great way to save on your utility bills throughout the winter months, it comes with many other great benefits. One of the most crucial is that investing in this energy-efficient system makes you eligible for a federal tax incentive.

Through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2020, homeowners can recoup up to 30% of their new heat pump system’s total cost of $3,200. You may even find that your new system purchase makes you eligible for state and local tax incentives and a local rebate from your utility company. Often, your local utility will have an informational page where you can access all of the rebates that you would qualify for.

Another great benefit of having this type of system is that it allows you to better control your comfort throughout all the different rooms of your home. You no longer have to deal with uneven heating or air conditioning throughout your home. You can even be more efficient with your energy usage by altering the temperature settings in rooms you don’t regularly use so that those indoor air handler units don’t run as often.

When you pair an air handler with a smart thermostat that has individual room sensors, you can gain additional benefits. Some sensors will listen to discover which rooms are occupied. The thermostat can keep each room with people at a comfortable temperature. When you change rooms, the settings will shift with you. This is especially useful if you have a downstairs living area and an upstairs sleeping area, for example. With this setup, you don’t have to reprogram your thermostat settings when guests come to heat or cool a seldom-used guest room.

Expert Ductless Mini-Split Service

Honest Air Conditioning offers expert ductless mini-split service for the entire Mesa, AZ community. Our expert HVAC technicians can even assist with all your air conditioning services as well as your heating and indoor air quality needs. Call our friendly office staff today to schedule your next service consultation with one of our helpful technicians.