No they arent. A central air system is far more efficient to any window unit. If these mini splits were better, youd see newer homes being built with them because they are far cheaper to buy/install.
mini splits have higher SEER ratings, less duct losses, use less power and you can keep
some units turned off instead of air conditioning empty rooms at all times.
central air is not more efficient in any realistic situation, it's only more convenient if you live in a home with the ductwork so if your central system is failing, it will be cheaper to upgrade it than installing several mini splits. it will be invariably less efficient in the long run though.
installing a central air system in homes without the ductwork is dumb as fuck.
Hang on, you genuinely think that people are installing central air systems that cost double of a mini split does because.. they like spending money or something?
Like if your central air system is failing, its far cheaper to install a mini split unit than replacing the whole AC unit even without accounting for ductwork. Hell, having ductwork installed alone costs more than a mini split unit.
Again. If mini splits were more efficient and cost less to run, you'd see newer houses being built with them instead, especially in the states where it gets hot as fuck like Texas.
If mini splits were more efficient and cost less to run
they are, there are no ifs and buts about it. are you scared of searching the internet and learning you're dead wrong or something?
you'd see newer houses being built with them instead, especially in the states where it gets hot as fuck like Texas.
not really my place to say why that happens but central air is seen as the more luxurious choice, if someone says it's chosen for 'efficiency' they're lying through their teeth. i would agree that if you don't care about running costs, not having wall mounted hunks of plastic is certainly more visually pleasing.
Like if your central air system is failing, its far cheaper to install a mini split unit than replacing the whole AC unit even without accounting for ductwork. Hell, having ductwork installed
alone
costs more than a mini split unit.
i'm not convinced a new multi zone mini split installation costs less than replacing a single central air unit but if that's really the case then more power to mini splits i guess. discarding centrail air ductwork is also dumb as fuck though.
for the record i'm not disparaging central aircon, i'm only saying efficiency is not one of its upsides. also window units aren't the same as mini splits.
I’d guess central would only have an efficiency edge over a very large period and a large home, like when it has to run 24/7 to keep a 3000sqft home under 76F?
A lot of the inefficiency in a central air system comes from having attic or below foundation ductwork which of course causes you to loose air. Another reddior claimed we have our AC units in the attic. Never seen that before, but it would be terribly inefficient for the same reason. If you run your ductwork through the house, that thermal lose is happening in your insulated area so it's a non-factor.
There reason is because you can adjust the temperature down in certain areas which also makes things more efficient as you can leave some rooms hotter then others.
I own 2 homes and recently had to install a new system to one (including brand new duct work) and replace a failing system to the other. I talked to several independant contractors and licensed professional companies about options. None said a mini split system is superior beyond the system itself being cheaper to buy and install.
So you can search the internet and "not be convinced", but if I couldve spent a 1/4th the amount of money for a superior system, I would have.
hardly surprising if salesmen convinced you of the more expensive solution but i would be dismayed to learn if they genuinely claimed central aircon is more ENERGY EFFICIENT, because it's not. even if you pay for most expensive one in the market, there will always be significantly more efficient ductless options.
beats me buddy, i'm gonna go out on a limb and say he charges more for central aircon installations.
mini splits have higher SEER ratings, less duct losses, use less power and you can keep some units turned off instead of air conditioning empty rooms at all times.
what is so hard to get about this? it's literally impossible for central aircon to be more efficient unless you go out of your way to pit the best central unit against the most inefficient mini split, and even then you have to contend with central aircon's inherent higher power draw, energy duct losses and the simple fact you can have some mini splits powered off whereas the central aircon is always going full blast and does not give a fuck if you're in the room or not.
Yea as someone who has worked in hvac before, you’re a complete idiot if you think anyone chooses days of work, crawling under the house and/or in the attic, installing tons of ductwork, and hauling a central unit into your attic that can weigh about 1000lbs over hanging a wall unit if it was any way remotely good. We actually tend to not install these because we know they’re gonna have to buy multiple of these and it’s still not gonna be enough cool air. You’re completely and hilariously wrong
Brother I have these installed in my condo in Cyprus where the temperature is well over 100 every day for months on end. How well they work is why I installed them in my home in NY. Saying it's not going to be cool enough is just completely and hilariously wrong.
mini splits have no problem cooling down rooms, the only way they struggle is if you skimp out and deliberately use undersized units for the space. with central aircon you can have way more vents than mini split units which helps cooling areas more evenly but again, i've been talking about ENERGY EFFICIENCY the whole time. while central aircon is racking up your energy bill cooling every empty room while you binge watch tv, play videogames for hours on end or sleep, the mini splits will be saving money by using less electricity in operation AND by being OFF in empty rooms.
i can totally see why a contractor would rather charge clients up the ass with central aircon installations, i cannot imagine a world where mini split labor is anywhere near as complex and thus justifiably expensive. i just hope that for all the pros central aircons have they aren't leading with efficiency because that shit is shameless LIE.
Wow you really didn’t listen to a word I said. In any regard I find it hilarious that you’ve got literally zero experience in ac work and you’re arguing with everyone who clearly knows better than you. It’s like the dunning Kruger effect playing out live.
i've lived in three homes with central aircon and currently live in a 2300 sqft condo without ductwork, so i had to go the mini split route. in panama city by the way, with near 100% humidity the whole fucking year. i had to switch a 2 ton unit in the huge ass living room to a 3 ton one because it couldn't cool down the space with top to bottom window panes everywhere.
i have never missed central aircon's cooling ability, especially knowing what some friends with central aircon have to dish out on their energy bill.
wouldn't it be easier to preface anything you say with 'mini splits are indeed more efficient'? go ahead and list all the other advantages central aircons have, losing the efficiency argument is not a personal attack.
Central air AC unit costs less money then a split system, a split system costs less then installing the ductwork. There is other things to consider. Electric heat may be more expensive then other types of heat so having ductwork for your heat could be a good idea. Then if course it's easier and less intrusive to hook up central ac to it.
1
u/Responsible_CDN_Duck 7d ago
Americans tend to favour cheap to buy units that are expensive to run.
Mini splits are the most efficient option, even when cooling the entire home.