Installing A Ductless Mini Split In A Downers Grove Sunroom

Choosing A Ductless Mini Split For An Addition

When you build an addition to your home, it’s usually a space that wasn’t designed with HVAC in mind. Homes today are built with HVAC systems installed already, but when you put an addition onto it, the original HVAC system wasn’t designed to keep that space comfortable. This is why there typically needs to be some sort of temperature control installed after the fact to make the space usable year-round. 

For this homeowner in Downers Grove, they built a beautiful sunroom with windows spread throughout. This is a fantastic room, but in the summer, it’s VERY hot from all the natural light streaming in. Then in the winter, it will be extremely cold, especially considering the winters we get here in Illinois. They could always use a space heater, but this doesn’t heat the space evenly, and they didn’t want to use a noisy, leaky window AC unit in the summer. 

They knew right away that a ductless mini split is what they were looking for. This would be able to provide both heating and cooling, and they didn’t have to worry about making any adjustments to their current HVAC system, which was taking care of the rest of the home. 

Luckily, they only needed a single zone solution that would take care of the entire space easily. Now, we want to take you through a few of the reasons that the mini split was the right choice for this sunroom. 

Can Both Heat And Cool

One of the primary advantages of ductless mini splits is that they can provide both heating and cooling. If they were to use space heaters or window units, they’d need separate systems for different seasons. Mini splits are perfect because they can seamlessly switch between heating and cooling with ease. 

Energy Efficiency 

These systems work like heat pumps, transferring warm air and using electricity to function. This operation makes them extremely efficient, more so than most other HVAC systems. This lessens the burden of rising energy costs with the new space. 

Require No Ductwork (Perfect Supplement) 

Because these systems don’t require any ductwork, they are perfect as a supplement to a current system. You don’t have to add any ductwork or put any additional burden on your current HVAC system. These systems connect to a condenser through a small piece of tubing that runs along the side of the house. 

Instead of worrying about replacing your current HVAC system, a ductless mini split is very easily installed and can treat that space independently. This is another reason it doesn’t suck up too much energy. 

If you were to add ductwork to your home and connect the addition to the current HVAC system, that means it would be heated and cooled just the same as the rest of the home. This would be a waste of energy and money! The mini split runs independently of the home’s HVAC system, and doesn’t have to be turned on when you aren’t using that room. This means saving energy while keeping the space comfortable when you want it to be. 

Better Comfort

The main reason that these systems are perfect for additions is the comfort they provide. These systems are designed to run with variable speeds, meaning it doesn’t just shut off and on. It achieves the temperature you desire and then runs at a low and slow speed to maintain it. The comfort is dispersed throughout the room evenly, not centralized like a space heater or window AC. 

Less Space Taken

Mini splits either hang off a wall, are recessed into a ceiling, or are mounted against the wall by the floor. All of these designs are meant to be more out of the way. With a space heater or a window AC, it’s going to take up space. This is inconvenient and limits a room. Luckily, min splits come with options, and allow you to choose the right one that maximizes the space in your room! 

Saving Money On Ductless Mini Split Installation 

Once the homeowners decided that they wanted a mini split for this sunroom, they wanted to see how they could save on the installation. Luckily, this system qualified for a $1000 local utility rebate, and a $2000 tax credit. These energy-efficient options usually come with some sort of incentives to lower the cost of the installation. These homeowners couldn’t be happier that the system they decided to install had so many great financial incentives as well.