Air Conditioners and Mini Split Heat Pumps

Air conditioners and heat pumps are both air treatment systems that use refrigerant to cool and heat air. Air conditioners extract heat from the air inside your home and release it outdoors, while heat pumps do the opposite by drawing heat from the air outside and releasing it indoors.

Both air conditioners and heat pumps are powered by electricity, but air conditioners use more energy than heat pumps. While air conditioners are more common in warm climates, heat pumps can be used in both warm and cold climates. Heat pumps are more efficient than air conditioners in cold climates since they can extract heat from the air even when the temperature is below freezing. In general, air conditioners are less expensive to install than heat pumps, but heat pumps are more energy-efficient and can save you money on your energy bill over time.

At Rural Energy, we offer a wide selection of air conditioning options to meet and fit the energy requirements of any residential home, whether it’s cooling off a single room or entire floors. The air conditioning equipment solutions in our catalog include products from leading brands including Toyotomi and Gree (filter by brand using the brand list on the left side of the page). Our team will outfit your facility with the right types of brands and sizes for your needs. Our wide array providing powerful, efficient, and cost-effective air conditioning equipment will provide you ample cooling comfort. Whether it’s for an entire floor cooling or a pump that acts as both a heater and air conditioner, we have an expansive collection of heating water equipment that provides comfort and satisfaction.

Specialty Air Conditioner Equipment from Leading Brands:

Toyotomi Air Conditioners

Save money while cooling your home, even if there is existing central air conditioning. These portable air conditioners/heat pumps feature a double ducting system that provides a 20–30% increase in efficiency over single-duct units. Relax in the true 11,500 btu cooling capacity of the Toyotomi.

Gree Air Conditioners

Proof is in the comfort. Featuring Gree's intelligent defrosting and I-FEEL systems, these units shine over their competition. Intelligent defrosting means you will never have wasted energy during a cycle, and the I-FEEL technology records and adapts to temperature at the remote instead of at the unit, ensuring accurate and comfortable cooling all day long.

Rebates & Promotions:

Rebates

Federal Tax Credit - Air Source Heat Pump 2022 (on select Gree Sapphire products)

Explore Further:

Q. What is a mini-split system?

A. A mini-split is a type of HVAC system that does not require ductwork. Also called ductless mini-splits, these systems provide cool air using the same cooling principles as compressor-driven central air conditioners. However, many mini-splits also have heat pump capabilities, allowing them to provide warm air during cool weather. A mini-split can be a cost-effective and energy efficient way to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature year-round.

Q. How is a ductless mini-split different from central air?

A. Instead of blowing air through ducts from a central air handler, a ductless mini-split places the air handler directly inside the occupied room. Unlike a central air system, which has a single air handler, multi-zone mini-splits have several independent air handlers.

Q. What's the difference between single and multi-zone ductless mini-splits?

A. Single zone mini-splits have one indoor air handler and one outdoor condenser. A multi-zone system uses a single condenser to provide cooling to several indoor air handlers, each of which is connected by a refrigerant line set to the condenser. This allows the system to cool more space, and to cool separate spaces independently with independent thermostats.

Q. Does a ductless mini-split’s air handler have to hang on the wall?

A. No. The air handler should be installed above floor level, but it can be recessed in the ceiling or hidden entirely with a short piece of ductwork.

Q. How does ductless mini-split air conditioning work?

A. Air conditioning systems work by capturing heat energy inside a space and transporting it outside. Coolant flows in a closed loop between an interior air handler, where an evaporator coil absorbs heat from the indoor air to an exterior condenser, where a compressor “squeezes” heat from the coolant and expels it into the outdoor air. A mini split eliminates the need for ducts because the air handler is placed inside the room, mounted on a wall, or recessed in the ceiling. The air handler fan is able to blow air across its coils and directly into the room.

Q. How does ductless mini-split heating work?

A. By reversing the coolant circuit, coolant is forced to evaporate in the outside unit’s coils and condense in the indoor air handler, effectively “pumping” heat into the building. Heat pumps are much more efficient than the electric resistance heating used by electric furnaces and space heaters. According to Energy Star, certified heat pumps use 60% less energy than electric resistance heating.

Q. Are mini split units more efficient than other air conditioning systems?

A. yes, there are several reasons why mini-split systems are efficient over a central air system. A mini-split efficiency advantage when compared with central HVAC is the lack of ductwork, more than 30% of the energy used in central air conditioning systems can be lost through ductwork. Ductless mini splits also have an efficiency advantage when compared with window units and portable air conditioners. In a mini-split system, the evaporator and condenser are on opposite sides of an insulated exterior wall. No heat can leak from the hot condenser coils outside to the cold evaporator coils inside. Importantly, zone systems allow separate spaces within a building to be heated or cooled independently, which helps prevent energy from being wasted in unoccupied spaces, or in spaces that are already at an acceptable temperature.