If you’re reading this article, you understand the difficulties that come with cooling and heating your attic space.
Don’t worry, you’re not alone!
In fact, attic spaces are known for being notoriously difficult when it comes to temperature control due to the elevated surfacing and lack of insulation within the room.
Many people don’t even know the terrible health issues that can come when not correctly heating and cooling an attic space such as:
- The dust can lead to breathing problems
- Condensation problems can lead to respiratory ailments
- And the low quality of air can cause headaches
None of which sound like a good time…
So to combat this, we constructed a straightforward guide you can easily follow to understand why installing a ductless mini split system is the most cost-efficient and healthiest choice!
What are Mini-Splits?
While they have many different names depending on the location you’re in, Ductless mini-split system air conditioners are compact ac unit options for people looking to regulate the temperature within a single room or space.
Mini-Split systems are great for single rooms in residential, commercial, or institutional buildings with multiple single occupancy rooms. On top of that, they’re a great choice for people looking to cool off their small apartments but who don’t want to invest in an entire HVAC unit.
To break it down to an even more fundamental level, mini-split systems are exactly the same as central ac systems in the sense that they also have two main components:
- An outdoor mini-split compressor
- An indoor air-handling unit
Within those main two components, there are gears such as:
- A conduit (houses the power cable)
- Refrigerant tubing
- Suction tubing
- A condensate drain
- And links to both outdoor and indoor components
Overall, that’s what you should be expecting to see when an HVAC technician says they’re going to be using a mini-split system to cool and heat your attic space.
Why Are Mini-Splits The Best Option?
While mini-splits might not be the best AC units for every household, they are extremely advantageous when it comes to heating and cooling your attic space. In fact, I’d go so far as to say they’re the best choice for people looking to regulate the temperature of a SINGLE room or SMALL apartment.
Some reasons why I believe Mini-Splits are the best option:
- More Efficient than AC and Heat Pumps
- Mini-Split systems are able to prioritize their heating and cooling control system to a single room instead of an ENTIRE HOUSE. You don’t have to waste energy cooling and heating places that don’t apply to you! (Because of this, they are extremely environmentally friendly)
- Flexibility
- I don’t mean the flexibility of the machine itself! I’m talking about the flexibility of adding up to FOUR different zones with each zone having an indoor air handling unit connected to one outdoor unit.
- Easier to Install than other AC Units
- The actual hook-up between the two components generally requires a 3-inch hole in the wall for the conduit to be sent through. Not only is this more advantageous, but it also provides an unobtrusive installation process.
- They’re Ductless
- Meaning they avoid all the energy losses that come with having ductwork done to the units themselves. On top of that, it costs less to install without having to worry about getting all the ducts in order and cleaned.
We have an entire article on AC Duct cleaning (That’s how much time you’re really saving when purchasing a mini-split system instead)
Who doesn’t love a good-looking unit either right?
Another big reason I put Mini-Split systems over the other types of AC units for attic spaces is the way it looks. It provides a clean, sleek, and professional design with more modern-looking indoor air handling units.
Now that you understand why you should get a mini-split system installed in your attic.
Let’s break down the process of installing one and what to look out for when a technician comes over for an estimate!
Everything To Know Before The Mini-Split Installation
One of the most important things to know about mini-split systems is that, unlike other ac units, the heat pumps move heat rather than generate heat directly. Due to this, they can operate way more efficiently and move 4-5 times more energy than usual.
Because of this, it’s VITAL that your attic is adequately insulated. If you made it this far, then you already know that attic spaces are difficult to heat (we’re not going to circle back to that don’t worry), and because of this, it’s important that you cover your options when it comes to insulation.
The main insulation types that you can look at are:
- Spray foam insulation
- Fiberglass insulation
- Rigid foam board insulation
We can write an entire article on just these forms of insulation themselves (and we plan to), so for now it’s just important that you can follow along with the technician’s recommendations.
The actual mini-split system installation process should take 3-5 hours (good work takes time) and should be done in two separate sections. First, install the indoor unit and then connect the outdoor unit (the two components we touched upon earlier) and make sure to connect the correct pipe joint to the line set on the back of your two units.
The actual installation process should be done by a professional at all times, and home depot has a great breakdown of how it should usually go. If you really want to get into the intricate details of the process I definitely recommend doing a deep dive into their resources.
Why An HVAC Membership Is Essential
Great, now you have a brand new mini-split system installed into your previously extremely hot or extremely cold attic. Now that you have one there’s no need to go to an HVAC expert like Aeris Air ever again right? Wrong.
Having an AC unit like a mini-split system has to be maintained every half a year. Imagine using something every single day, for more than 4 hours a day, it’s only natural that over time it’ll have some wear and tear.
On top of the maintenance, when signing up for a membership plan with Aeris Air, any client gets a 48-hour response time for repairs or service calls NO MATTER WHAT! In Southern California, during the summer this is going to be essential. You’re going to want to get that unit taken care of immediately.
To top it all off, any member gets 1-year labor, parts, and materials all on warranty for any repairs done.
It’s an absolutely essential deal that we recommend to all of our clients.
