Making a decision about the next type of heater to install in your home isn’t always easy. It can be made easier by learning more about your options though.
Forced air heaters like heat pumps or furnaces provide warm air by blowing it around the home. It feels a bit like a warm breeze and is known for being effective. The question we want to help you answer is whether it is best to use a standard, ducted forced air system or consider a ductless one.
We’ve got everything you need to know about these options.
Considering Your Heating Options: Ducted or Ductless
There is more than one kind of forced air heater available. Ducted heaters blow warm air through ductwork and into the different parts of your home while ductless systems produce warm air from different air handlers.
There are pros and cons that come with both kinds of systems. Here’s what you may want to know.
Pros and cons of forced air heating
Forced air heaters can include gas or all-electric furnaces and ducted heat pumps. However heat is made, these systems will deliver it by blowing it through the ductwork in your home. This is why they are known as forced-air heaters.
These types of heaters are pretty effective. They use vents to control airflow throughout the house which means that little to no wall space is taken up. In fact, most vents are in your ceiling, keeping your walls completely open for whatever you want to put on them.
Forced air heaters can prove problematic because ductwork isn’t foolproof. Over the years, ductwork can develop holes or leaks that allow warm air to escape into your attic or crawlspace. This can create energy loss of up to 30%! What’s more, ducted systems heat the house evenly, even if there are some rooms that may not need it.
One other drawback to consider as well involves asbestos. Older homes that may have been using outdated heaters like gravity furnaces often have asbestos coating their ductwork. While it serves as an effective insulation, asbestos is hazardous. You can talk to us about asbestos removal if you want to stick with a ducted furnace, otherwise, it may be a good idea to go ductless and get rid of that old ductwork.
Pros and cons of ductless heating
Ductless heating in Minneapolis, MN is popular for many reasons. Ductless heating systems use heat pump technology allowing them to provide incredible energy efficiency by moving heat, rather than creating it. And that’s just the start.
Ductless heaters use multiple air handlers to deliver warmth without the use of ducts. This makes them a great heating solution for anyone without the space or ability to install ductwork in their home. It also provides easy zone control, allowing you to provide less heat to rooms that are warmer than others. All of this adds together to improve energy efficiency even more.
The downside to these systems is that they can be more expensive to install and are a bit redundant if you aren’t also looking for an AC system. They can also struggle if temperatures drop too low.
Knowing your options is just one step for deciding on the type of heater you want in your home. For help choosing the best option, get in touch with our team.