With spring in full swing, many home and business owners are looking ahead toward the upcoming summer months and realizing their air conditioning unit needs an upgrade. With the increasing popularity of ductless systems comes a rise in questions about them. A mini-split system is different from ducted AC in that it has only two components, an outdoor unit and one (or more) indoor air handlers. The indoor air handler functions as a cooling fan, thermostat, and air purifier. A mini-split system can cool an entire home or business, but the larger the square footage, the more indoor air handlers are necessary. A mini-split system can have up to four indoor air handlers per outdoor unit.
The cooling capacity of a mini-split air conditioning system depends on various factors, including the size of the space, the unit’s size and efficiency, the rooms’ insulation, the desired temperature settings, and the local climate. Please consult an HVAC professional to determine the appropriate capacity and configuration to accommodate all of these factors accurately. However, if you’re looking to do some preliminary calculations, read on.
When heating or cooling a home or business, an HVAC professional will break down the space into zones rather than rooms. Generally speaking, a single-zone mini-split AC is designed to cool a single room, such as a bedroom or living room. In some cases, however, a single-zone mini-split can cool a larger space (zone) which would include a room as well as an additional smaller space (or spaces), such as a bathroom or laundry room. Multi-zoned mini-split ACs can cool multiple rooms or zones using a single outdoor unit connected to multiple indoor units. The number of rooms or zones that a multi-zoned system can cool down depends on the capacity of the system and the number of indoor units installed.
Choosing an indoor unit for a zone will depend on the number of BTUs needed to cool the space efficiently. A BTU (British Thermal Unit) is a unit of measurement that measures how much energy your air conditioner uses to remove warm air from your home or business. Knowing the necessary BTUs per zone to cool your space will help you to calculate how many indoor units are required.
Indoor air handlers can produce anywhere from 9,000 BTUs to 36,000 BTUs of cooling output. An HVAC technician can help you choose the correct air handler for a zone based on the number of BTUs needed. A good rule of thumb is that 20 BTUs are required to cool one square foot of a living space effectively.
An additional tool you can use to estimate the number of mini-split indoor units you may need is by referencing the following:
500 Sq Ft 1 Mini-Split
750 Sq Ft 1-2 Mini-Splits
1,000 Sq Ft 1-2 Mini-Splits
1,250 Sq Ft 1-3 Mini-Splits
1,500 Sq Ft 2-3 Mini-Splits
1,750 Sq Ft 3-4 Mini-Splits
2,000 Sq Ft 3-5 Mini-Splits
2,500 Sq Ft 4-5 Mini-Splits
3,000 Sq Ft 5-6 Mini-Splits
Please keep in mind that these numbers are general estimates and won’t be applicable to all spaces. Hiring a professional HVAC technician is the only way to ensure optimal comfort and efficiency.
If you’re looking for one-on-one expert advice about your HVAC options in New England, contact the National Refrigeration team, and we’ll find the right system for you.
Whether you need 24-7 emergency service or advice on improving your everyday air quality and comfort—at home and work—call us at 401-737-2000 or email us.