Ductless vs. ducted heat pumps: which suits your home?
We clean both every week. Here are the honest tradeoffs nobody tells you at the sales pitch.
Ductless mini-splits
One outdoor unit feeds one or more wall-mounted indoor heads. Installation is lower-cost, zoning is excellent, and efficiency is typically higher because you can heat/cool only the rooms you're using.
Downsides: the heads are visible, they need regular cleaning (every head separately), and temperature balance between rooms isn't automatic. You set each zone manually.
Ducted systems
One air handler distributes heat and cool through existing ductwork, usually in a basement or attic. Totally hidden inside the living space, even temperature throughout, and a single unit to maintain.
Downsides: only works well if the home already has good ductwork, efficiency is lower than ductless, and the entire system runs together. No easy zoning.
Which one fits your home
Older Halifax homes (pre-1980s) usually don't have ductwork, and retrofitting is prohibitive. Ductless is almost always the answer there.
Newer builds or mid-century homes with existing HVAC ducts can go either way. If you prioritize invisible installation and even temperatures, ducted wins. If you prioritize efficiency and zone control, ductless wins.
Many customers end up with a hybrid: a ducted system for the main living area and a ductless head for a finished basement or addition.
Common questions
- Which is cheaper to clean?
- Per visit, ductless ($199/head) is cheaper than ducted ($349). But a three-head ductless system ($597) is more than one ducted unit.
- Which is more efficient?
- Ductless, typically by 15 to 25%. No duct losses, and you're only heating the rooms you use.
- Which breaks down more often?
- Roughly equivalent, assuming both are maintained. Neglected ductless heads fail slightly more often because mould and biofilm affect smaller components.
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