3 Ways to Maximise the Efficiency of Your Ductless Split System During the Winter

Are you buying a new ductless split system for your home? If so, it's crucial to invest in a system that will ensure indoor comfort during the cold winter months, especially if you rely on the unit for your heating and cooling needs. When it's cold, the low temperatures can undermine the ability of the unit to provide adequate heat.

Luckily, you can take the following measures to maximise efficiency and promote indoor comfort.

Choose a Suitable Heat Pump

When buying a split system for both heating and cooling, it's normal to focus on the cooling aspects of the unit and forget about the heat pump. As a result, you may end up with a unit that cannot handle the heat load when the temperatures dip below 10 degrees. The split system will fail to warm your home adequately. 

The extra heat load may even cause the unit to fail altogether. Therefore, to ensure maximum comfort, invest in a heat pump that can meet the heating load. As a result, you will save money on alternative solutions such as space heaters.

Choose a Unit With Wind Baffles for Winter Cooling

There are times when you need to utilise the AC function of your split system during the winter. For example, if your kitchen is unusually busy with cooking tasks, you may need to cool it. In this case, you need your unit to supply cold air to the air handler in the kitchen. Unfortunately, running an AC in cold weather isn't easy. 

The cold air outdoors can quickly run over the coils causing system failure. To avoid this, you need wind baffles to block chilly air from blowing into the coils. Thus, if you intend to cool parts of your home during the winter, invest in a unit with wind baffles to prolong the system lifespan and increase efficiency.

Install Outdoor and Indoor Units Correctly

Proper installation of the indoor and outdoor units is essential in maximising their efficiency. For your outdoor unit, make a point of installing it away from the elements such as rain and snow. If you live in an area that snows, mount the unit above the ground to prevent the unit from sucking in the snow. You could also consider covering it or building a custom case to keep out the wind, water and snow.

Your indoor unit should be mounted slightly above the ground for efficient heating. If you place it too high, the warm air will rise further up as it is light, and this will leave your living areas cold. Therefore, place it slightly above the ground to ensure it adequately circulates warm air to your living areas. This will also ensure that the cold air which usually settles near the ground will be sufficiently heated.

Proper selection and installation of your split system is the key to ensuring indoor comfort during the winter. Contact an HVAC contractor for professional installation services!


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