The Efficiency of A Mini Split vs Central Air

New England summers can be a tough with extreme heat, oppressive humidity, and even temperature swings of 30 degrees. However, you don’t have to struggle through them. If you just purchased a new house, your AC unit needs to be replaced, or maybe you just have some warm rooms in your house – a Mitsubishi mini split is a solution that you need to check out. CMS Plumbing and Heating has been your family business for over 44 years and as technology has changed, we have seen a dramatic improvement in efficiency. We want to take the time to show our customers why a Mitsubishi mini split may be the best solution for your families needs. This article is going to compare mini splits vs central air, so if you find yourself in the market, you have the information to make the best decision.

First, the current rebates that are available to our customers at this time make a Mitsubishi mini splits even more enticing. We have another post that you can check out to learn more about ongoing Mitsubishi mini split rebates here. CMS Plumbing and Heating is also able to offer customers a 12 year warranty, which other reseller’s can only offer 10 years.  One of our certified trained technicians can provide you a FREE estimate with our upfront pricing so you’ll know your savings from the start.

Mini Split vs Central Air Lifespan

Cost of Central Air vs Mini Splits

At CMS Plumbing and Heating we understand that the purchase of a cooling system is an investment for you and your family. The average central air system lasts for 12 to 15 years depending on many variables. The average Mitsubishi mini split lasts for 20 years. Now these are estimated life spans and the environment in which they live will impact these. However, you can see that a mini split will give you an additional 5-8 years. That means, on average, a Mitsubishi mini split lasts more than 25% longer than central air! As previously mentioned, by using CMS Plumbing and Heating as your reseller and installer, you get a 12 year warranty for the 20+ year lifespan of your unit.

Appearance 

Comparing a mini split to central air as far as their appearance outside of the home is a short list, because both of these solutions require a compressor and pipes to either your furnace or the mini split. However, when we compare the two solutions as far as their internal appearance, that’s where things change. 

Many people are all familiar with the duct work that runs the cool air from your central air, to the vents in each room of your house. Now, if your house already has this run between your walls and ceilings, then it’s appearance is limited to the the vents you see. However, if you’re home does not have the duct work already run, then you will be cutting into your walls and ceilings to get air to each room. This can cause visable patch work that you and guests may see.

When it comes to mini splits inside your house, there are many different design options to fit each room of your house. For example, if you have an attic, then duct work can be used to distribute air into the rooms below it. However, getting the cold air to the rooms would be significantly shorter in duct work than a typical central air system. That is what makes it so much more efficient. Another option is to choose a system that fits in the ceiling of the room. This makes only the vent that it blows from visible to you.

CMS Plumbing and Heating is certified to properly size a unit that will not only keep your family comfortable year round, but help you find a unit that will fit your style. Mitsubishi Mini Splits come in different shapes, sizes, colors, and styles. Depending on your space, there are units that fit discreetly in your ceiling to provide you optimal heating and cooling. During our free estimate, we will provide the available options for your home and help you choose the solution that is best for you and your family.

Temperature Control

This is where the difference between central air and mini splits becomes significant. A central air system usually has a thermostat that collects the temperature in the room. When the temperature drops below the specified temp, it will turn on and blow cool around throughout your entire house. This can be extremely wasteful if your thermostat is in a room that typically runs hot, while other rooms may be freezing.

Mini splits on the other hand can manage one room at a time. If only one room in your home runs warm, then only that room will run. This allows other rooms to stay at their ideal temperature and not waste electricity. Mitsubishi mini splits take it a bit further too with their 3D i-see Sensor. This sensor will monitor heat sources in a room and direct cool air to those areas to help eliminate hot spots. In turn, the system does not need to run as long as a typical central air system.

Running Efficiency

We have covered the differences of central air vs mini splits from how they look, how they run, but the most important is how efficient they are when they run. As we previously mentioned, they both utilize compressors to create cooling. Central air then runs off of your furnaces fan. The fan blows across the cool lines to make the air cooler, and then through your duct work. However, duct work can have leaks, allow thermal conduction, and several other variables that impact the temperature of the air before it arrives in your rooms. If you have noticed a cool area on your hardwood floors, that could be because air is leaking from your ducts and blowing on the floor. This requires you to have joint sealing done on your duct work to resolve some of your system’s inefficiencies. 

Mini splits use a similar design, but air is blown across the cool lines in the room. This allows for zero loss of air temperature as it cools down your room. Mitsubishi mini splits also run at the ideal utilization to keep your room comfortable. For example, when central air turns on it runs at 100% until the thermostat reaches the set temperature. Mitsubishi mini splits can turn themselves up to 100% or down to 10% depending on what is needed to manage the temperature efficiently.

Finally, you don’t want your system running while you’re not home. Have you ever left home and forget to turn the air down? The kumo cloud app allows you to remotely control each unit in your home to help save you money. Combined with the power of Google Assistant, Alexa, and IFTTT you can automate your home’s temperature based on your location, time of the day, weather, or integrate it with your other smart home routines. 

Anything else?

In the debate between central air vs mini splits, as you can see, Mitsubishi is leading in several categories for efficiency. CMS Plumbing and Heating has been your family business for home comfort for over 44 years! For our customers, we are offering 0% financing for 18 months on our Mitsubishi Mini Split installs. That means today, you can qualify for all these savings PLUS 0% financing! That gives you two summers without paying any interest on your new high efficient Mitsubishi system while you keep your family comfortable for years to come.

If you’re interested in a FREE estimate to have one of our certified technicians provide you a custom solution, you can call, email, message us on Facebook, or even text us on the right! We look forward to serving you and your family for another 45 years!