How much does ductless cost?
Estimating the cost:
The cost of a new ductless system for your home or business is in direct proportion to its size. The formula for designing an effective & efficient ductless system is based on the total square footage of the area(s) you want to heat & cool. The industry recommends for every 600 square feet of space you allow for “one ton” of coolant which is the equivalent of 12,000 BTU’s.
The average cost for ductless:
Based on this formula, the average cost of an installed ductless system in a 800 to 1000 square foot home with a single indoor heating/cooling head or “air handler” is approximately $4,000 to $6,000. For a 2000 square foot home figure about $8,000 to $11,000. Additional heads or “air handlers” and greater heating capacities will increase the cost of a system. Some larger residential or commercial systems can have up to 8 interior air handlers or more!
How long will it take to see a financial return?
The money you will save on your monthly heating and cooling cost will pay for the entire cost of an average ductless system in 3 to 5 years. Add to that the incentive programs offered by Pacific Northwest utilities companies for switching to a ductless system. Up to $1,200 cash is mailed directly to you in the form of a check in your name!
*Other factors that will affect the cost of an installed system include manufacturer and model, geographical location, refrigerant line-set length, high ceilings (cubic air space), difficulty of installation and installer labor rates.
Heating & Cooling
Today’s air source ductless inverted heat pump systems are simply the most energy efficient and cost effective solution for your heating and cooling needs. These technologically advanced heating & cooling systems use up to 50% less energy than conventional systems and can deliver up to 4 units of heating or cooling energy for every unit of electrical energy they consume.
High Efficiency
Four key factors account for the high efficiency of a ductless system:
- Ductless systems allow the user to control each heating and cooling zone independently, eliminating the costly over-heating and over-cooling common to central air systems. You no longer need to pay to heat or cool unoccupied rooms.
- While central air systems lose as much as 30% of their efficiency through air leaks and conduction in the ductwork, ductless systems deliver air directly to each zone, resulting in a 25% to 30% greater efficiency.
- Ductless systems use inverter driven variable speed compressors that allow the system to maintain constant indoor temperatures by running continuously at higher or lower speeds. Thus, the system can ramp up or down without great losses in operating efficiency, avoiding the energy intensive on/off cycling common in electric and central air systems.
- Modern ductless systems have extremely good Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratios or SEER, between 16 to 33, and Heating Seasonal Performance Factors or HSPF that range from 9 to 14 or higher.
What is SEER, HSPF, EER, & COP?
The Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has developed a standard of measurements to determine the efficiency of air conditioning, heating, and commercial refrigeration equipment manufactured today.
www.ahrinet.org/Standards.aspx
www.ahrinet.org/Standards.aspx
- SEER = Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio ; The SEER rating of a unit is the cooling output during a typical cooling season divided by the total electrical energy input during the same period. The higher the units SEER rating the more energy efficient it is.
- HSPF = Heating Seasonal Performance Factor ; HSPF is a ratio of BTU heat output over the heating season to watt hours of electricity used, or units of BTU/watt-hr. Again, the higher the HSPF rating of a unit, the more efficient it is.
- EER = Energy Efficiency Ratio ; EER is the ratio of output cooling energy in BTU to input electrical energy in watts at a given operating point. EER is generally calculated using a 95*F outside temp and an inside (return air) temp of 80*F and 50% relitive humidity.
- COP = Coefficient Of Performance = The COP of a unit is the ratio of heating or cooling energy it provides divided by the amount of electrical energy it uses in relationship to outside temperature.