Do Ductless Air Conditioners Use A Lot Of Electricity?
Conserve electricity with a mini-split from W.H. Riley & Son
If you are in the midst of trying to figure out if a ductless AC is the right type of air conditioner for your home here in southeastern Massachusetts, you are probably considering many different variables, such as how much cooling power you need, how well insulated your home is, and the hot summer temperatures we get in this area.
You may also be asking yourself how much electricity a ductless AC uses and how installing this type of system is going to impact your energy usage and utility bills.
How Much Electricity Does a Ductless AC Use?
The exact amount of electricity that a ductless AC, also commonly referred to as a mini-split system, uses is going to vary from household to household and is going to depend on:
- Your system’s efficiency rating
- How many hours a day you are using your air conditioning
- The capacity of your AC
- What temperature you have your thermostat set to
- Your home’s insulation
- The outside temperature
All that being said, we can safely generalize that mini-split systems use significantly less energy and electricity than most traditional window air conditioners and central air conditioning systems.
On average, a ductless AC uses between approximately 500 and 1,200 watts per hour. Central air conditioning systems use around 2,000 watts per hour, small window units usually use about 900 watts per hour, and electric furnaces use about 6,000 watts per hour.
What Makes a Ductless AC So Efficient?
As you can see, ductless AC systems are able to operate with less energy and are therefore more energy efficient. There are a few factors that make this possible:
- There is less energy loss: With an air conditioning system that uses ductwork, a large portion of the cold air the system produces can be lost before it even reaches the inside of a home. If your ducts have leaks, this energy loss can increase. Ductless AC systems greatly reduce this type of waste.
- Zoning: One of the benefits of mini-split systems is that they offer the option of creating different cooling zones within a home. This allows you to keep certain rooms at a specific temperature instead of cooling your entire home at one single temperature. When you implement zoning, you are conserving energy.
- High SEER ratings: Most ductless air conditioners have a seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) of at least 20, which is considerably above the required rating of 14.
Ductless AC Installations from W.H. Riley & Son
If you are looking for a way to conserve energy in your home here in southeastern Massachusetts without sacrificing comfort, consider a ductless AC system from W.H. Riley & Son. We can install compact, single-zone cooling units that will keep your place cool and comfortable all summer long.
Contact W.H. Riley & Son today to learn more about the air conditioning services we offer throughout the area.