ServiceMax Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Ductless Heating’

Ductless Heating Installation Is a Good February Choice

Monday, February 26th, 2018

ductless-unit-on-wall-hand-with-remoteAlthough February is still winter and a reprieve from the cold is a good stretch away (sometimes farther away than we’d like to acknowledge), it’s still a good time to make improvements to your home’s heating system—especially if you’ve noticed the heater hasn’t been doing its job as well as usual during the past few months.

You’re probably already thinking: “That sounds like it will take too much time, and I need my heating system—good or bad—right now.” This is one of the reasons we think installing a ductless heating system is such a good idea: it’s a fast installation that creates minor disruption to your home. When our professionals are finished, you’ll not only have a great new heating system for the rest of the winter, but you’ll have a jump on the coming summer weather as well. Why? Because ductless heating systems are also ductless cooling systems!

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Should You Have a Ductless System Installed This Fall?

Monday, September 25th, 2017

ductless-mini-split-on-wallThe fall is one of the best times of the year to make major changes to a residential HVAC system. Transitioning between the heat of a Chicago summer into the cold of the winter is a period when you won’t have to rely heavily on either the AC or the heater, so it’s not difficult to arrange for a convenient time to have major repairs done, or to schedule annual maintenance for the heating system.

(It’s not too early to get on the schedule for a fall heating tune-up and inspection. Join our Max Comfort Plan today for superb whole-house maintenance.)

What if the work you need done is to have a new HVAC system installed? In that case, fall is definitely the right time to plan it. One of the options you might consider is a ductless mini split heat pump. This means you receive both ductless heating and ductless air conditioning in Winnetka, IL or wherever you are in Chicagoland. But going with a ductless air conditioning and heating system is a major change, and not right for every home. Let’s take a look at times when going with a ductless system is a good option.

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How Long Does It Take to Install a Ductless System?

Wednesday, March 11th, 2015

At Malek Heating & Cooling, we often recommend that customers who are constructing new homes, remodeling a current home, or who live in an older home with limited space, consider installing a ductless mini split heat pump as their principle comfort system. Ductless mini splits provide both heating and cooling, and they work with great energy efficiency that will save money compared to using a standard furnace/air conditioner combination. They also help with increasing indoor air quality, and the lack of ductwork makes them flexible for numerous building and remodeling projects.

A question that customers who are interested in installing ductless heating in Skokie, IL often ask: “How long will the installation take?” The good news is that installation of a ductless system in most cases will not take longer than installing any other type of new heating or cooling system. In fact, in many ways, installing a ductless mini split heat pump is easier than putting in traditional comfort systems that use ducts. It’s a more complicated installation than putting in a small window unit, so it isn’t a job you should attempt on your own; you must look for qualified and licensed technicians familiar with the product. But for those skilled professionals, installing a ductless mini split is usually a fast job that will go without complications.

The average installation job takes one or two days. The actual length depends on the size of the system, in particular how many indoor air handlers need to be mounted inside the home. Each air handler must have a mounting frame put in first and a 3″ hole drilled through the wall to allow of power cable and refrigerant lines through. If you have a large home that requires many air handlers in multiple rooms, the installation process will take longer.

However, not only will the final results be worth the small investment in time, but the installation process is not disruptive. Much of the work occurs outside, setting up the external unit. Mounting the air handlers is usually a fast job for seasoned and trained professionals.

To find out more about outfitting your house with ductless cooling and ductless heating in Skokie, IL, as well as an estimate for how long the installation will take, call our ductless mini split experts at Malek Heating & Cooling. We are licensed Mitsubishi ductless mini split installers, and have helped keep homes in the Chicagoland area comfortable since 1998. Give us a call today.

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What is a Mitsubishi Diamond Contractor?

Wednesday, March 4th, 2015

Choosing a quality contractor for heating and cooling installation is one of the most important steps you can take in order to make sure any necessary services are completed properly and that your system runs as efficiently as possible. If you select a Mitsubishi Diamond Contractor for the repair or installation of a Mitsubishi Electric ductless AC and heating system, you can feel confident that you’ve selected professionals with all of the proper training and certifications for the job.

Call the friendly people at Malek Heating & Cooling for your new Mitsubishi ductless heating and cooling installation or for any AC and heating services in Evanston, IL. We are accredited Mitsubishi Diamond Contractors, a prestigious title that ensures both expertise and craftsmanship.

Why Choose Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractors for Ductless Installation

Mitsubishi Electric ductless systems offer the ultimate in cooling and heating power without the need for any ductwork at all. Mitsubishi systems are known for long-lasting equipment, quiet operation, above-average performance, and incredibly high efficiency ratings. These systems come with a 7-year parts warranty, indoor humidity control, and variable speed settings.

And when you choose a Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractor for installation, our technical excellence will help to keep your unit in the best shape possible. Diamond Partners are trained on Mitsubishi systems at an approved training center. They perform any work according to industry guidelines for the most efficient system possible.

When your Mitsubishi ductless heating and cooling system is not installed by Diamond contractors, you cannot be certain that everything will go smoothly. Your technician may not be as familiar with this type of system, and may be unable to complete the job according to the highest standards. But Diamond contractors work extensively on Mitsubishi Electric systems, so you can be sure of a job well done.

In most cases, new ductless heating and cooling system installation takes 1-2 days. A Diamond Contractor will take the time to make sure that everything is sized and installed properly, on top of completing a thorough inspection so that you can rest assured your new unit runs optimally.

Count on your local Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractors for ductless heating and cooling installation in Evanston, IL and the surrounding areas. Call Malek Heating & Cooling today!

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How Efficient Are Ductless Systems?

Wednesday, February 25th, 2015

Ductless systems may seem like a very odd choice for home heating. They’re limited to serving one room per unit, and usually take up a fair bit of wall or ceiling space in that room. It would seem that centralized heating and cooling systems are better suited to service the house in every way. However, ductless systems do actually have plenty of reasons to recommend them over centralized systems. One of those reasons is efficiency. Let’s explore why ductless systems are so efficient, both in terms of output and energy usage.

Ductless System Construction

In order to understand why ductless systems are so efficient, you must first understand how they work. Ductless systems are essentially heat pumps. They don’t burn any kind of fuel to create heat, and instead work by moving heat from one place to another. Their construction is similar to air conditioning systems, with one unit installed inside the house and the other outside. The inside unit is always installed in the room that it is going to condition, either on a wall or ceiling. The outside unit is either installed on the roof, an exterior wall, or on the ground outside the house.

Ductless Operation and Efficiency

Ductless units move heat from one place to another by evaporating and condensing refrigerant. In cooling mode, the inside unit evaporates refrigerant inside its coil to draw heat from the room. The refrigerant gas then moves down a refrigerant line to the outside unit, where it is condensed back into a liquid. The condensing process releases the heat into the open air. In heating mode the flow of refrigerant is reversed, with the outside unit capturing heat to send inside.

This method of operation makes ductless systems efficient in a number of ways. For one, the system saves a lot of money on heating bills by not burning any kind of fuel. For another, the ability to both heat and cool the room means that a ductless system does not need to be supplemented by any other system. Only heating or cooling one room also makes ductless systems incredibly energy efficient. The average central forced air system loses about 30% of its output to leaks in a home’s ducts. Ductless systems always deliver 100% of their output directly into the room.

If you’re interested in a ductless system, call Malek Heating & Cooling and speak with one of our heating experts. We provide professional ductless heating services throughout Wilmette.

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Is a Ductless System Installation a Good Investment?

Monday, February 16th, 2015

A ductless system has a number of great benefits, but we have many customers wondering: is it really a good investment for my home? The best way to assess this is to review some of the costs involved, as well as the savings you can gain, by using a ductless heating system in your home.

Initial Costs

A ductless system is comprised of an outdoor unit that holds the compressor, condenser and reversing valve, and indoor blowers that deliver the air. A single outdoor unit can support up to four indoor blowers, but when purchasing a ductless system, you should review the package to see how many blowers come in the package cost. On average, an outdoor unit and one blower with an output of 13,000 BTUs will have an average cost around $2,000. The number of BTUs affects the pricing considerably, so it’s important to know what size ductless unit you’ll need for your home, which is something your Malek Heating & Cooling specialist can help you determine. A package with four indoor blowers and an outdoor unit that delivers 36,000 BTUs has average costs of $5,200.

Where You Can Save Money

The first thing to keep in mind when reviewing the initial costs of a ductless heat pump system is that you are getting a device that offers both heating and cooling. When you consider that the average cost for a furnace or boiler is around $2,000 or more, and the average cost for an air conditioning system is around $3,000 or more, you aren’t really paying more for the heat pump. Secondly, heat pumps only use electricity to operate, which eliminates any fossil fuel usage and the costs associated with fossil fuel usage, and the amount of electricity a heat pump uses is about 25% of that of a whole-home AC. What does this mean for you? No more fossil fuel costs for your home heating, which can be a huge savings, and the reduction in electrical usage can equal up to $280 of annual savings per year. Lastly, there are a number of manufacturer rebates you can take advantage of, some that can save you up to $1,500 on purchase and/or installation costs, and there are many states offering tax rebates for using a far more energy efficient heating and cooling system for your home.

Some of these numbers can be a bit daunting, so if you have been considering the installation of a ductless heating system for your home in Winnetka, sit down with one of the experts from Malek Heating & Cooling and see how a ductless system may benefit your home’s budget. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment.

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What Is a Ductless Heating System?

Thursday, February 5th, 2015

It wasn’t too long ago that your choices for home heating were limited to a furnace or a boiler. These days, homeowners have a number of choices for heating systems, including ductless heating. Many people wonder how ductless heating works and if it’s sufficient enough to heat the home, so we’ll explain below how ductless heating can be a great option.

Ductless Components

A ductless heating system uses the same components to heat your home as a ductless air conditioning systems uses to cool, but there’s one key difference: heat pump technology. Ductless systems are comprised of an outdoor unit and individual indoor blowers; a single outdoor unit can support up to four indoor blowers. The indoor units are connected to the outdoor unit via a conduit in an exterior wall. This conduit contains a power cord, refrigerant line and condensate drain pipe. The indoor blowers contain a small fan, small air filter and the coils through which the refrigerant cycles when an indoor blower is in operation.

How a Ductless System Provides Heat

The heat pump technology is what allows a ductless system to provide your home with heat. Heat pumps are equipped with a component called a reversing valve; this valve can switch the way the refrigerant flows in the system, allowing for the device to operate in either cooling mode or heating mode. As the homeowner, you’ll have a dual-mode thermostat, so all you have to do to switch modes is press a button.

Benefits of Ductless Heating

There are a number of benefits a ductless heating system offers that can make a good option for homeowners:

  • Very good energy efficiency – ductless heating systems offer very good energy efficiency for two reasons: first, they use only a small amount of electricity to operate and second, there is no worry about air loss from ductwork.
  • Long lifespan – heat pumps have an average lifespan of 20-25 years, whereas a combustion heating system has an average lifespan of 15-20 years.
  • Customized comfort – each blower operates individually, allowing you to have zone comfort.

If a ductless heating system seems like a good fit for your home in Skokie, call the experts at Malek Heating & Cooling and schedule an appointment today!

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