You may have heard of the federal government’s recent plans to ban the installation of oil furnaces in newly built homes. Maybe you know that in some Canadian jurisdictions, it will soon be illegal to replace any existing furnace with a system powered by fossil fuels, including natural gas.
If you have an oil or natural gas furnace that is nearing the end of its life, or if you’re concerned about future changes to the laws governing home heating, it might be time for you to consider ductless heating. Ductless heat pumps, also known as mini-splits, are a great option to heat your home this winter. Let’s take a look at three reasons you should make the switch to ductless heating.
1. Ductless Heating Is Efficient
Ductless heat pumps are more energy efficient compared to traditional oil or gas furnaces, as well as electric baseboard heating. An improved energy efficiency means less electricity is used, which can translate into cost savings on your utility bills. Using a ductless heat pump that’s ENERGY STAR certified can result in up to a 60% decrease in energy usage versus electric resistance heating.
2. Ductless Heating Can Be for the Whole House or for Individual Spaces
For whole-house ductless heating, an outdoor unit is connected to one or more indoor units throughout the house. Each indoor unit can control the temperature in its own room or zone. For individual spaces such as garages, new additions, or other hard-to-heat areas, a ductless mini-split can be used to heat that specific room as needed.
3. Ductless Heat Pumps Are Greener than Oil Furnaces
While the “cleanliness” of electricity can be debated, what cannot be debated is that at the point of source, i.e., your house, little to no greenhouse gas is emitted. This is a good start to go green, considering that the equivalent of 201 million barrels of oil were emitted into the air by Canadian buildings in 2022. Plus, as cleaner-made electricity, such as wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal, becomes more readily available, electricity will be even cleaner than the oil and gas options that are being phased out.
How Ductless Heating Works
Whether you call it a ductless heat pump or a ductless mini-split, you are talking about the same type of HVAC system, one that transfers hot air from place to place. In the winter it moves hot air from outside your home to inside it; for summertime cooling, a ductless heat pump removes the hot air from inside your home and puts it outside.
Other Benefits of Ductless Mini-Splits
Ductless heat pumps allow for easy zoned heating that can contribute to energy efficiency. They also take up less room than ducted systems. Plus, if you don’t have existing ducts or want the flexibility of having a secondary heat source like a natural gas furnace along with a ductless mini-split, you can.
Install Ductless Heating in Your Home
Aire One Heating and Cooling KW is your source for ductless heating systems in Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Cambridge, Stratford, Fergus, Orangeville and beyond. Contact us today to learn more about ductless heating and schedule your heat pump installation.