One of the most common alternatives to ducted forced-air heating and cooling systems in modern homes is the ductless mini split system. Rather than operating through a network of air ducts connected to an indoor air handler and evaporator unit, ductless systems basically break up the indoor unit and blower fans—air handlers—and distribute conditioned air into the individual rooms of your home, independently of one another.
If you’ve ever been in a friend’s home and seen something up on the wall that sort of resembles a window AC, but doesn’t go back through the wall, what you’re looking at is part of a ductless system. Those wall hanging units are hooked up to a single outdoor cabinet, creating a central heat pump system, but without ducts.
Zone control heating, or air conditioning for that matter, is one of the most efficient ways to condition a home. The reason we say this is because with zoning, each room can have its own temperature, meaning each family member in your household can heat or cool their space to their specific preference.
