Ductless Split Systems

LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF COMFORT
With Ductless Split Air-Conditioning Systems

Imagine...

...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 Ductless Split Air-Conditioning System Has Revolutionized Indoor
Climate Control.

...The Holcomb funnily 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 pm to cool the house by
the time the family returns at 5.

...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 engineer 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 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 infra-red 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 indoors 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.

A Ductless Split Air-Conditioning System consists of four major
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 sixes and can be wall or ceiling mounted.

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

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.

DUCTLESS SYSTEM
Refrigerant is pumped to an individual indoor cooling coil in each
room and a fan distributes cooled air in that room.

Features of a ductless Split Air-Conditioning System

Zone Control
Ductless Split Air-Conditioning Systems offer room-by-room or zone"
control, which minimizes over-cooling typical of central
air-conditioning systems. As in the example at the beginning of this
brochure, many school systems 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. 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.

Simple Control
Wall-mounted thermostat or infrared remote control systems allow 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.