Furnace vs Ductless HVAC

Between whole-home furnaces and ductless mini-split systems, there are many options when it comes to buying a new HVAC system. Gross Heating & Air Conditioning can help you narrow down your decision and pick the best one for your needs and budget. Below, our experts are breaking down the great debate: furnace vs ductless heating.

Furnace vs Ductless HVAC—What’s the Difference?

Design

This is perhaps the biggest difference between the two systems. Furnaces are built to pump air throughout your entire home using ductwork in your walls. A ductless mini-split is a single unit that is installed in individual rooms. Instead of circulating air through the whole house, it heats (and cools) only the specific room that it’s in.

Installation

Furnaces are often installed in basements or other open areas. On the flipside, ductless units are installed directly in rooms that need heating or cooling. You can also install and connect up to eight ductless blowers on one system, helping create a web of hot and cool air throughout your house.

Size

Because it heats up the entire building, furnaces are big machines and can often take up a lot of room. Ductless systems are much more compact. They consist of a small, wall-hung unit in the room and a condenser on the outside of your house.

Efficiency

Furnaces naturally use a lot of energy to circulate air through your home. In fact, heating and cooling account for most of your monthly energy bills. By comparison, ductless systems use much less, as they only heat one room at a time.

Customization

A ductless unit can offer more customized temperatures in your home—they can solve hot and cold spots in certain areas. Furnaces, on the other hand, are more rigid. They run until your whole home is heated to one temperature and don’t offer the ability to customize heating and cooling from room to room (unless you have a zoning setup).

Central Air vs Ductless—the Final Verdict

Ultimately, the system you get will depend on your individual needs. That’s what Gross Heating is here for. We’ll help you determine the perfect Carrier® system for you and install it quickly and efficiently. All you have to do is call us at 262-783-6000 or contact us online.