Install a Mini Split in Your Michigan Home for Zoned Cooling

Who controls the air conditioning in your Livonia home?

Is it someone who prefers it warm and toasty even in the summer, or that person who literally makes you “chill out.”

A central cooling system with one thermostat is limited in satisfying all comfort levels simultaneously. When someone else commands the thermostat setting in your home, you can cope by layering up or taking a cold shower, but at Harriman Heating & Air Conditoning, we have a better solution.

Zoned Cooling in Livonia

We recommend zoned cooling, which is made easy by installing a ductless mini split. Our experts can offer a whole-house solution or one that pinpoints selected rooms that need added cooling.

Southeastern Michigan has some hot days ahead this summer, but we can help you prepare with a zoned approach to your comfort. We serve customers in Oakland, Western Wayne, Livingston, Macomb, and Washtenaw counties with HVAC system installation, repairs, and maintenance. 

We bring you the most innovative and efficient HVAC solutions, and when it comes to personalized comfort and energy savings, ductless mini splits are a game-changer.

What Is A Ductless Mini Split?

As the name suggests, a ductless mini split is a heating and cooling system that does not rely on a network of air ducts. It consists of outdoor and indoor components.

The outdoor unit houses the compressor and condenser, much like a traditional air conditioner. It connects to one or more indoor units that are compact, wall-mounted, or ceiling-recessed air handlers.

The indoor units are installed in rooms or zones you want to cool. You can install an indoor unit in each room of your home, a few rooms, or just one room. They require a small hole in your wall for connections, which is less invasive than installing new ductwork.

The indoor unit delivers air directly into the surrounding space, avoiding the energy losses that can occur in leaky ductwork. ENERGY STAR^® says 20 to 30 percent of the air that moves through ductwork in a typical house escapes through leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts.

A refrigerant line, power cable, and condensate drain line connect the indoor and outdoor components.

How Mini Splits Work

Some ductless mini splits are like air conditioners because they only cool. They are perfect for spaces where supplemental cooling is the sole need. However, the majority of models available today are heat pump mini splits. This means they provide both highly efficient cooling in the summer and effective heating in the colder months.

This dual capability makes them incredibly versatile and a wise investment for Michigan’s climate.

Whether it is cooling or heating, a ductless mini split operates like a heat pump, moving heat rather than generating it. The indoor air-handling units absorb heat from the surrounding air. The refrigerant, which circulates between the indoor and outdoor units, releases the heat to the outdoors. The indoor units blow the cooled, dehumidified air directly into the rooms where they are installed.

The process reverses to heat your home in mini splits that heat and cool.

Understanding Zoned Cooling

In a traditional central HVAC system, one thermostat controls the temperature of the entire house. Zoned cooling divides your home into separate temperature-controlled areas, or “zones.”

Each zone has an indoor unit and thermostat, allowing you to set unique temperatures for different areas. Each room in your home might constitute a zone, or a bedroom and adjacent bathroom might share one air-handling unit as a zone. The configuration depends on your cooling needs.

Zoned cooling gives everyone in the family control over the temperature in their own spaces, ending arguments over one thermostat for centralized cooling. It also allows you to turn off cooling in unoccupied areas like guest rooms and rarely used dining rooms, which saves energy and money on utility bills.

Mini Splits Are Versatile

Ductless mini splits are an ideal solution for a variety of challenging situations in your Livonia home:

• Home Additions: Are you planning a new sunroom, bedroom suite, or home office? Extending ductwork into the new space can be expensive. A ductless mini split provides independent heating and cooling for your new addition without impacting your existing HVAC system.

• Backyard Buildings: A mini split is the perfect way to make detached spaces like a converted garage, backyard studio, or guest house comfortable year-round, eliminating the need for noisy AC window units or inefficient space heaters.

• Problem Rooms: Mini splits can target problem areas, like rooms with large, south-facing windows, providing precise cooling where it is needed most without overcooling the rest of your home. By cooling only the necessary zones, your overall HVAC system does not have to work as hard, potentially extending the lifespan of your central unit.

• No Ductwork: Many older homes in Michigan were built without central ductwork. They use a hydronic heating system that distributes heated air via radiators. Ductless mini splits offer a modern, efficient alternative to window AC units for homes without ductwork.

• Enhancing Existing Systems: A mini split can complement your central air conditioner. It can alleviate strain on your AC and provide zone control for difficult-to-cool areas.

Cooling and Heating in Michigan

Although you may be interested in only cooling your home, it is worth remembering that heat pump mini splits are also energy-efficient powerhouses for heating. Given Michigan’s notoriously cold winters, having an incredibly efficient heating source that can warm individual zones is a huge advantage. This means year-round zoned comfort and energy savings from a single, versatile system.

Customize Comfort in Harriman Heating & Air Conditioning

A ductless mini split can transform the comfort system in your Southeastern Michigan home from centralized to zoned, enabling you to customize temperatures from room to room. Let our Harriman Heating & Air Conditioning experts help you explore the benefits of zoned cooling and determine the ideal ductless system for your needs. Schedule a consultation and enjoy personalized comfort and energy savings in every corner of your home! Call us at 734-271-6200 or request service online.