...The Holcomb family is on its way home on a hot August afternoon, exhausted and testy after an all day trip to an amusement park. How they long to open their front door and step into a refreshing waft of cool air! But will they have to leave the air conditioner on all day, running up the electric bill, just so the house can be cool when they arrive?

...Mrs. Holcomb does not like too much air conditioning. When she goes to a movie at the mall she usually takes a sweater. Mr. Holcomb would live in a refrigerator if he could. After a day of squabbling children and melting popsicles, is the family heading toward another run-in?

...Two miles away high school principal Tom Carter is dreading the thought of going to work the next day. He has to prepare a proposal for the district superintendent to cut more fat out of an already super-lean school budget. Will Mr. Carter also have to swelter in the heat so he won't have to waste money cooling the whole school?

...In the center of town, Dennis and Anna Escobar have just finished renovating an old townhouse, and they are in a mood to celebrate. They break out the champagne and toast the air conditioning contractor. Air conditioning? In an eighteenth century building? The historical commission was bribed, right?

No. No. No. And No.
Air conditioning is not simply air conditioning any longer.

The Indoor Climate Control Revolution

...The Holcomb family can come home to a cool house without having to pay for a day of useless cooling because their ductless system can be set in the morning to turn on precisely at 3 p.m. to cool the house by the time the family returns at five.

...Mr. and Mrs. Holcomb can each relax in a different room—at a different temperature. A ductless system makes it easy for Mr. Holcomb to fantasize about lounging on polar icecaps if he wants, while Mrs. Holcomb can read a magazine in a more temperate climate.

...Tom Carter doesn't have to suffer from the heat—he's already suffering enough from having to cut the budget—because he can cool only his office, leaving the rest of the school at summer temperatures. A ductless system allows him to control his own room exclusive of all others.

...The Escobars will not have to sit on the front porch fanning themselves with old copies of Architectural Digest to keep cool in the summer—and no one was bribed. They have installed a ductless system that will fit discreetly with the design of the house and cool it perfectly and unobtrusively. The eighteenth century walls could not have handled ducts, and they didn't have to.

Ductless Air Conditioning: The Flexible Alternative

Every building and every situation presents it's own problems in climate control. Architects and engineers have realized this for years, of course, and they have struggled to adapt air conditioning technology to modern living and working demands. Ductless systems now make the job much easier. Going ductless can mean changing indoor climates from variable and unpredictable to cool and consistent, without expensive renovation work or compromising the integrity of the structure. And the work can often be done in a matter of hours.

How A Ductless System Works

In a ductless system, a separately installed outdoor unit is connected by simple copper tubing and electrical wiring to one or more indoor units. Refrigerant is pumped from the outdoor condenser coil and compressor through the tubing to the indoor unit or units. A fan then quietly distributes cool air drawn from the unit's evaporator coil.

The amount of cold air entering the room can he controlled by a thermostat or it can be regulated by an infrared remote control, like a TV remote. One room or one area of a building can maintain a different temperature from another room or area in the same building.

In a central air conditioning system, refrigerant is also pumped from the outdoor condenser coil to a single indoor coil from which cooled air is distributed to each room through a system of ducts. In many houses and businesses, the amount of cold air in one room cannot be regulated without changing the temperature of every room in the building.

Ductless System Components:

1. The condensing unit, which contains the compressor, is located outside the building.

2. Thin refrigerant lines, usually copper tubing, connects the outdoor unit to the indoor unit or units.

3. The indoor unit or units, each with a fan, come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be wall or ceiling mounted.

4. A wireless remote or wall monitor controls the entire system.

Ducted vs. Ductless

In a ducted system refrigerant is pumped into a large indoor cooling coil and cooled air is distributed to each room by a fan through a system of ducts. A ductless systems pumps refrigerant to an individual indoor cooling coil in each room and a fan distributes cooled air in that room.

Ductless Split air conditioning Systems offer room-by-room zone control, which minimizes over-cooling typical of central air conditioning systems. As in the example at the top of this page, many schools now use ductless systems to conserve energy during the summer when only staff members may be present. With the zone-control ability of the ductless system, only occupied rooms of the school are maintained at a comfort level, and cooling for the rest of the building is turned down or shut off entirely. Churches use ductless systems for similar purposes, saving cooling of the sanctuary for worship days.

Zone-control is also used in businesses where special equipment, such as computers or telecommunications equipment, require colder temperatures than the surrounding rooms. A ductless system equipped with optional controls can cool a room even when outdoor temperatures reach far below freezing.

Space demands on modern business make it necessary for some companies to install modular and special-purpose offices within existing space. Ductless systems are perfect for these uses. The condensing unit can he placed outside the office, and tubing and wiring can be run into the room. Inside, wall or ceiling units can distribute the cooled air with precision.

Ductless systems are the perfect solution for spot cooling—for example, in large structures like retail stores and supermarkets, where areas can be either too hot or too cold.

Since no ductwork or air distribution system is needed with a ductless system, there are few places where these systems cannot be installed. Systems have been placed in small and large offices, shops, motels and hotels, schools and universities, telephone equipment rooms, computer rooms, banks and currency exchanges, churches, hospitals and labs. Ductless systems have been installed for both primary and back-up cooling.

Easy Installation and Maintenance

Ductless systems are easy and quick to install. They can be operational within hours—perfect for a school or business where activities cannot be interrupted. All the contractor needs to do is set up the outdoor condenser coil and compressor, drill a small hole for the piping, hang the indoor fan coil units, connect the piping and power lines, install the wall controller, and the job is done! Manufacturers ensure that units are charged and tested at the factory so connections can be made quickly, and condensers are designed to be easily serviced.

Quiet Operation and Heating Too

Known for quiet operation because of unrestricted delivery of cool air, ductless systems are often used in libraries and businesses. In warm weather, ductless systems can be used for air conditioning only. Or, when the temperature outside drops, units are available which work as heat pumps to provide economical heating.

A wall-mounted thermostat or infrared remote control allows the user to select the required functions such as temperature and fan speed simply by pushing buttons. The user can even select a delayed start and stop time for unit operation, making it possible to have a unit switched on automatically before the homeowner arrives home from work.

Attractive and Efficient Design

Indoor units are lightweight and come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit any design scheme. Outdoor units are designed to be efficient and durable. Air is discharged quietly so people and landscaping are undisturbed. Ductless systems allow the designer to consider the cooling patterns of a room in the same way that the lighting or utilitarian functions of the room are considered.

Security

Because a ductless system requires only a small hole through a wall to connect the outdoor unit with the wall unit, banks and other security conscious users can be confident that there will be no side-open ducts to invite intruders.

This document is published by the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute.