Discover the Benefits of Ductless Mini Splits in Northwest Oregon

Meet the ductless mini split.

This popular HVAC system has it all—versatility, energy efficiency, and the capability of heating and cooling multiple zones in your Portland, home. It does not require ductwork, making it a popular HVAC choice in the Pacific Northwest.

At Pyramid Heating and Cooling, our experts can design a ductless system for heating and cooling just one room, multiple rooms, your entire home, or a detached backyard building.

With a ductless mini split, you gain the same heating and cooling benefits traditional ducted HVAC delivers—minus the ductwork. Plus, mini splits typically are more efficient than ducted systems because of their inverter technology and lack of duct air loss.

At Pyramid Heating & Cooling, we have seen firsthand how innovative ductless mini splits transform comfort and energy savings in homes throughout Multnomah County. Now, let’s look at what mini splits are and how they work.

What Is a Mini Split?

Think of a ductless mini split as a more compact and efficient heat pump system without ductwork.

A mini split has an indoor wall-mounted air handling unit that distributes heated or cooled air into a room. You use one thermostat to control the indoor unit.

If you want to heat and cool more rooms, you can install multiple air handling units around your home. Each room with an indoor unit has a thermostat, enabling you to heat or cool the rooms at different temperatures.

The outdoor unit houses the compressor and condenser. It essentially is a heat pump without the bulky ductwork. The outdoor unit resembles a box fan and is much more compact than a ducted heat pump.

A refrigerant line, power cord, and condensate drain connect the outdoor and indoor units.

Mini Splits Save Energy

Like ducted heat pumps, mini splits move heat rather than generate it. In the winter, they extract heat from the outside air and use refrigerant to bring it indoors. In the summer, the process reverses.

The refrigerant transfers heat from indoors to outdoors, cooling your space. This method is more energy-efficient than traditional electric heating or air conditioning systems.

Unlike ducted systems that can lose conditioned air through leaky ducts, mini splits distribute air directly into each room you equip with a ductless indoor air handling unit. Duct losses can account for more than 30 percent of energy consumption for heating and cooling, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), making mini splits an energy-efficient choice.

Inverter technology also ramps up mini split efficiency. It enables compressors to change speeds to meet heating and cooling demands rather than simply cycling on and off. As a result of inverter technology, ductless mini splits typically have higher Seasonal Energy Efficiency Radio 2 (SEER2) ratings than ducted systems. SEER2 ratings measure energy efficiency in space cooling. The DOE points out that mini splits can achieve SEER2 ratings from 15.2 to 35, while the range is 15.2 to 25 for ducted heat pumps.

Ductless Mini Split Benefits

In addition to reducing your carbon footprint and energy bills, ductless mini splits filter dust and other allergens, helping to improve indoor air quality (IAQ). Take our virtual healthy home tour for more insight into maintaining quality indoor air.

Mini splits offer flexibility and are the perfect solution for various situations:

• Home Addition: Expanding your living space by adding an addition? Tying into existing ductwork can be an expensive and complex undertaking. In some cases, it may be impossible. A ductless system lets you heat and cool your new rooms without straining your ducted HVAC system.

• No Ductwork: A ductless mini split is the perfect alternative to installing costly and invasive ductwork. Say goodbye to your window AC units, radiators, and baseboard heaters. Mini-splits are a modern, energy-efficient, and aesthetically pleasing option.

• Accessory Buildings: Detached garages, backyard offices, studios, or tiny guest houses need heating and cooling for year-round use. Mini splits are perfect for these spaces, eliminating the need for space heaters and window air conditioners.

• Problem Spaces: Some rooms may be too hot or cold because of their location or inadequate ductwork. A ductless mini split can assist your central heating and cooling system by targeting those problem areas.

• Zoned Comfort: Each indoor unit in a multi-zone mini-split system operates independently, enabling you to set different temperatures throughout your home. For example, you might keep the bedrooms cooler and the family room warmer and turn the thermostat back in a rarely used guest room. Zoned heating and cooling enhance comfort and reduce wasted energy.

Maintain Your HVAC

Whether you choose a ductless mini split or a more traditional ducted system, preventative maintenance is the key to a long-lasting, top-performing, and energy-efficient HVAC unit.

Joining our Pyramid Comfort Club is the best way to stay on top of essential maintenance and protect your investment in home heating and cooling. Our Essential, Advanced, and Premier plans offer discounts on diagnostic fees, services, and filters. You receive monthly maintenance reminders and priority scheduling. Equipment cleaning, tests, and inspections ensure your system is prepared for the heating and cooling seasons.

Why Customers Choose Pyramid

We have over 20 years of experience in the HVAC industry and a team of trained technicians with impeccable maintenance, repair, and installation skills. Our customer reviews speak to our expertise in ductless mini splits and our focus on customer service:

Erik Regis explained in a Google review that he “had Pyramid fix two of our mini splits after a power surge fried the control boards. They were responsive, informative, and efficient.”

Frank Sadowski rated his general experience with us as “prompt scheduling, courteous and professional techs, excellent and thorough work, and fair pricing. Recommended.”

Go Ductless with Pyramid

Whether you are upgrading an existing system, adding a new space, or seeking to improve energy efficiency, a ductless mini split could be the answer for your Portland, OR, home. Let Pyramid Heating and Cooling install a versatile, efficient, and cost-effective ductless mini split today! Call us at 503-783-8488 or request service online.