While ductless mini splits offer quiet, efficient, and comfortable cooling and heating, they don’t bring in fresh air from outside. Like conventional HVAC systems, they circulate the air that’s already inside your home. But, they work a little differently than the setups you’re used to.
We hear questions like these more and more often in 2020. Indoor air quality is becoming a more and more important topic.
And, people are now very aware that, on the whole, the air outside is better than the air inside.
When the air can flow anywhere, bacteria, dust, germs, viruses, and other contaminants can’t build up.
But, once the summer hits, you shut the windows and turn on the air conditioner. In the winter, you do the same with your heater.
Now, you’re holding onto any contaminants that you’ve tracked in the house inside. There’s no way for all that junk to escape again.
And, unfortunately, your mini split won’t help you here. But, there are some excellent air purification options out there that can do the job even better.
In this article, we’ll briefly look at how mini splits work. That way, you’ll see how you’re getting heating and cooling, but the same air in the room before.
Finally, we’ll look at some options to substitute fresh air from outside.
How Mini Splits Circulate Air
Unlike a forced-air system with ducts and vents, a mini split won’t move air all throughout the house to heat or cool it. Instead, it circulates a refrigerant fluid, or coolant, between the heat pump outside and the air handlers in each room.
When the air handler draws air from the room in the summertime, the heat from it causes the coolant to evaporate as it travels in a loop.
Once outside, the heat pump releases the heat, letting the coolant condense. It cools the air when it travels back to the air handler.
In the winter, it works in reverse: The coolant attracts outside heat as it passes through the heat pump.
The pump amplifies what little thermal energy is available to make it strong enough to warm your home. Then, the coolant carries the heat to the air handler and continues the cycle.
This way, the air never really goes anywhere — just that refrigerant. You get a little more circulation with ductwork and vents because the air travels to the heater or compressor. But, it’s still not bringing in air from outside.
And, in the summer, that can be a good thing.
Fresh Air and Pollen
If you suffer from seasonal allergies, then you know spring and summer can be rough. The reason is pollen — a major allergen that’s all over the place in the warmer months.
Already, you’re getting some pollen in the house. A little gets tracked in every time you open the door. And, with the windows shut, it doesn’t have a way out.
That’s why you need to wipe even out-of-the-way surfaces — including windowsills and the tops of door frames — with a damp cloth. The pollen gets in and settles everywhere.
If your air conditioner brought in the air from outside, it would also bring in way more pollen. Sure, you’d get some circulation back out. But, you’d still end up with plenty of it settling everywhere.
Other than that, however, it’s true you’re always better off with fresh air. People with open windows and fans are giving all those contaminants a way to get back out of the house without building up.
But, as summers get hotter, air conditioners are more and more essential. And, this year, indoor air quality is a more significant concern than ever.
Fortunately, you can have the best of both worlds: A cool, comfortable home that’s also free of dust, pollen, VOCs, viruses, bacteria, and more.
Air Purifiers For Havertown, PA Homes
If you want fresh air, so the air in your home is cleaner, then a purifier will do the job while also letting you keep your AC, mini split, or heater running. And, we’re not talking about an off-the-shelf model that barely treats one room at a time.
Here in Havertown, we’ve gotten a lot of great feedback about the AirScrubber by Aerus. We knew it was effective, and now that more people are satisfied with the results, it’s our go-to recommendation.
First of all, these purification systems treat your whole home without you doing anything. Just like you don’t manually turn your central air or ductless system on or off, the AirScrubber works on its own.
And, it attaches to your HVAC to reach every room in the house. We mostly sell these for homes with forced-air ductwork and vents. But, you can also get a model that’s made specifically for mini splits.
These work to clean the air in your house in two ways.
Filters and Cleaning
First, there’s a filter that’s much, much stronger than the standard one-inch models you put in your heater every month or so. These catch particles even tinier than usual — down to mold spores, pollen, bacteria, viruses, even tiny particles that cause bad smells.
If you tried putting one of these in your regular HVAC system, the whole thing would gum up — they’re so strong that not even air will pass through. Then you won’t get any heating or cooling.
But, the purifier has a separate blower that accounts for that blockage. And, your regular filter traps all those contaminants and keeps them there. The AirScrubber goes a step further.
It uses proprietary “air scrubbers” inside the system that neutralize and eradicate all those tiny, troublesome particles. This way, none of them are circulating back throughout your home.
As far as air quality goes, you’ll have even cleaner air than if you had your windows open.
Mini Split Installation and Air Purifiers in Havertown, PA
If you’re looking to upgrade your home’s HVAC, while also considering your indoor air quality, call or email us today at John Cippollone. We’ve served Delaware and Montgomery counties for decades. Starting with an in-person or virtual consultation, we’ll help you find the perfect solutions for your home.