Allentown Poor Ducts Case Study

In Allentown, there are lots of older homes like this Cape-style home, that were built before central forced air heat and air conditioning were the norms. This home was being heated solely by oil, and the homeowners were looking to add air conditioning that was more robust than just window units. They came to us looking for solutions, so we visited the home to see what we could do.

Problem: The homeowner was looking to add air conditioning to the home, but the existing ductwork was too small to do the job properly.

Solution: A Carrier ductless heating and cooling system with five separate zones will not only provide the homeowners with perfect cooling comfort without having to install new ductwork, but it will provide great cost-effective supplemental heating, saving the owners a lot of money on energy bills!

On inspection, we found that the existing ductwork could not handle the load required if we were to install a traditional “unitary” air conditioning system. When we started to discuss the possibility of using a ductless system to cool the home, we let them know that these systems can act as both heaters as well as air conditioning, so you can get two benefits from one system. While the owners were satisfied with their oil heat, they knew that oil prices were rising, and it always feels like a bit of a gamble when you arrange for a tank to fill up for a season.

The new Carrier ductless heat pump systems use inverter technology that not only can work efficiently when it’s -22F or 125F outside, and they are super-efficient. The technology allows them to use just as much energy as needed to keep a room a constant temperature, avoiding the highs and lows you might get with a traditional single-stage, whole-home system- essentially what the homeowners had currently for heating. Carrier ductless also constantly monitors a room for temperature and humidity and distributes the hot or cold air evenly through a room, so there are never the hot and cold spots you might get with other systems.

The homeowners opted for 5 indoor wall units, which sit up on the wall, out of the way, making sure no one ever even notices them. These units are also really quiet- under 30 db, and as a result, you can barely hear them running, meaning they will never cause you to have to turn up the TV in the family room, or disturb a night’s sleep when they kick on. All you have to do is set the temperature with a remote control, and you’re done! By choosing to add 5 wall units, the homeowners are creating 5 zones of heating and cooling. This will allow them to adjust the temperature in each zone separately, creating custom comfort while saving money in energy bills. Unlike a whole-home system that is either on or off, each zone can be controlled independently, and can even be turned off when not in use. So for example, you might want some extra cooling in the living room or kitchen during the day, but leave the units in the bedroom off, and reverse this at the end of the day. It also means if the kids like their room extra warm, but Mom and Dad like it cool to sleep, each person can adjust the temperature so they are perfectly comfortable.

Because the Carrier ductless system can act both as a heating and cooling system, the homeowners will also be able to add just a touch of heat when they need it on cold days, right where they want it. Most of our customers who install ductless find that they reduce the use of their main whole-home heating system dramatically, and watch their energy bills drop significantly during the first year- something every homeowner can appreciate!

Because this is such an energy-efficient upgrade, there are rebates available for homeowners to adopt systems like these- and our homeowners qualified for $800 in rebates that helped make the installation of this significant comfort-upgrade even more affordable! And it means Mom will no longer be telling kids to go put on a sweater if they think it’s too cold in the house the family can bump up the heat to make everyone comfortable without worrying about the utility bills breaking the budget.

If your home could use a better air conditioning system, and add efficient heating to those rooms that always seem too hot or cold, give us a call. We may have just the right Carrier ductless solution for your home!