Schedule When our customers come to us to either replace their existing air conditioning system, or install one after living without any type of cooling—goodness we hope that’s not the case—we very often recommend one particular system that is growing in popularity.
That is the ductless air conditioning in Houston, TX. Ductless systems work on heat pump technology. What this means is that not only do they provide effective and efficient cooling, but they also include a reversing valve that allows you to switch directions that the refrigerant flows. This means that during our, albeit brief, winters, we can get heat from the same system we achieve cooling from.
Ductless systems aren’t right for every home, and there are many considerations to make when choosing your next HVAC investment. But should you choose to go this route, we do want to let you in on a few care tips that are unique to ductless systems.
Water May Leak Behind Air Handlers
Each of the wall-mounted air handlers has a series of connections routed through a hole behind them. This includes a power line, refrigerant line, and a condensate line. The last one removes water moisture from the cooling process so that it doesn’t enter your home. But, these lines can leak. If this happens, water starts to collect between the back of the air handler and the wall.
If this isn’t caught right away, what can happen is that your wall material will begin to weaken and the air handler can rip away and fall off, damaging the wall and almost certainly breaking the air handler. So if you notice any signs of water damage around the air handler, be sure to call for repairs.
Broken Air Handlers
The good news with this repair need is that it’s actually somewhat of a benefit over having a traditional central air conditioner. What we mean by this is, if a single air handler breaks due to a failed motor or some other problem, the rest of the air handlers throughout the home will continue to run.
The only part of your home that loses cooling (or heating) in this case would be the one with the broken air handler. When one of the units stops functioning, call for repairs as soon as you can—but rest easy knowing that you can simply go to another room in your house to cool off in the meantime.
Refrigerant Leaks
So, refrigerant leaks are something that remains a threat for any type of air conditioner. However, there’s an added danger with a ductless system in that there are more refrigerant lines running to the handlers, inside your home.
Be sure to keep a close eye out for any warning signs of refrigerant loss. This can include a drop in cooling or heating power from the system, or your evaporator coil freezing over. Refrigerant loss must be accurately located and professionally repaired ASAP, or else you run the risk of facing a complete system breakdown.
