Ductless systems need monthly maintenance, including cleaning or replacing filters, wiping down indoor units, and checking for refrigerant leaks or drainage issues. Annual professional tune-ups help ensure efficient performance and extend the system’s lifespan.

A ductless heating and cooling system, or a mini split, is a splendid choice for your Peoria home and a worthwhile investment. It offers many benefits, including energy efficiency, zoned temperature control, and quiet operation. To ensure you continue enjoying these advantages for years to come, it’s crucial to maintain your system on a consistent basis.

As with any heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, you need to protect your investment. Neglecting regular maintenance can shorten your system’s life span and significantly reduce its efficiency. Our Clear Air Conditioning & Heating professionals often see issues that could have been avoided with routine upkeep.

A well-maintained mini split will operate more efficiently, improve indoor air quality, and help prevent costly repairs. While you should schedule a professional cleaning and inspection at least once a year, there are several maintenance tasks you can handle on your own to keep your system in top condition.

Ductless System Maintenance: Table of Contents

• What Ductless Maintenance Can You Do on Your Own?
• What Will a Professional Do at My HVAC Maintenance Visit?
• Schedule Your Ductless HVAC Maintenance

What Ductless Maintenance Can You Do on Your Own?

Before performing any maintenance, always turn off your system completely—this includes shutting down both the indoor and outdoor components. Additionally, switch off the outdoor circuit breaker to prevent electrical hazards.

Here are some do-it-yourself (DIY) maintenance tasks our Clear Air Conditioning & Heating experts recommend:

1. Ensure Proper Clearance Around Units

A ductless system requires proper airflow to function efficiently. Be sure to keep at least a few feet of clearance around both the indoor and outdoor units. Remove any furniture, curtains, or other objects blocking the indoor unit, and trim back vegetation, leaves, or debris around the outdoor unit.

Proper airflow prevents overheating and ensures your system can distribute conditioned air effectively throughout your home.

2. Clean the Indoor and Outdoor Units

Keeping your system clean will improve its efficiency and longevity.

• Indoor Unit: Regularly wipe down the indoor unit with a soft, damp cloth to remove dust and dirt. Pay special attention to vents and grilles, as these areas can accumulate debris that restricts airflow.
• Outdoor Unit: The condenser and coils should be cleaned periodically. After ensuring the system is off, use a gentle stream from your garden hose to rinse off dirt and debris. Avoid using a high-pressure nozzle, as this can bend the delicate fins. Wipe off any residual dirt and allow the unit to dry completely before turning the system back on.

By cleaning your mini split routinely, you prevent buildup that can impact performance and lead to unnecessary repairs.

3. Clean or Replace Air Filters

One of the most important aspects of ductless system maintenance is taking care of the air filter. A dirty filter can reduce efficiency, strain the system, and worsen indoor air quality (IAQ).

• Remove the filter from your indoor unit and clean it thoroughly every six to twelve weeks.
• If you have pets, allergies, or smokers in your home, check and clean the filter more frequently.
• A clean air filter helps remove dust and allergens from the air you breathe while also preventing debris from accumulating in the unit.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a well-maintained filtration system can have a significant impact on your home’s indoor air quality. Ensuring your filters are clean is one of the simplest and most effective ways to maintain your mini split.

4. Inspect the Drain Line for Clogs

Ductless systems remove excess moisture from the air, which drains away through a condensate line. Over time, this line can become clogged with dust, mold, or algae, leading to water leaks or inefficient operation.

• Check the drain line periodically for any signs of blockages.
• If you notice water pooling around the unit, a clogged drain line may be the culprit.
• You can flush the line with a mixture of warm water and white vinegar to clear minor clogs, but for more serious issues, professional cleaning may be necessary.

What Will a Professional Do at My HVAC Maintenance Visit?

While homeowners can handle basic upkeep, a professional technician will conduct a more thorough inspection and cleaning to keep your system running smoothly. During your annual maintenance visit, our trained Clear Air Conditioning & Heating technicians will:

• Inspect refrigerant levels – Low refrigerant can reduce efficiency and damage the compressor.
• Check for refrigerant leaks – Leaks can cause performance issues and require prompt repair.
• Tighten electrical connections – Loose connections can lead to system failures or even electrical hazards.
• Test system operation – Your technician will ensure the system is running properly and troubleshoot any irregularities.
• Clean evaporator and condenser coils – Dust and dirt buildup can reduce efficiency and lead to breakdowns.
• Check the blower and fan – A malfunctioning blower or fan can reduce airflow and affect comfort levels.

If anything needs repair or replacement, our Clear Air Conditioning & Heating professional will inform you and, in many cases, can fix the issue on the spot. Our team carries common replacement parts in our work trucks to minimize downtime and inconvenience.

Routine maintenance helps prevent unexpected breakdowns and ensures your mini split operates efficiently for years to come.

Contact Us to Schedule Your Ductless Maintenance

Your ductless system is a valuable investment that provides comfort, efficiency, and improved air quality. With proper maintenance, it can last for many years without major issues. Taking the time to maintain your ductless mini split will keep your Peoria home comfortable and your energy bills in check.

Don’t wait until your system starts underperforming—schedule a professional maintenance visit with Clear Air Conditioning & Heating today! Call us at 480-409-4928 or request service online to set up your appointment.

If you are considering installing a new ductless system, we’d be happy to help! Contact us to discuss your options and get a free onsite estimate. Our experts can guide you through the selection process to find the perfect solution for your home.

The post What Maintenance Is Needed for a Ductless System? first appeared on Clear Air Conditioning & Heating and is written by Clear Air Conditioning & Heating.

Going ductless offers flexible, energy-efficient heating and cooling without the need for bulky ductwork. It’s ideal for individual room control, home additions, and older homes where installing ducts isn’t practical.

You deserve the most comfort at the best price in your Arizona home or business. You want reliable heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) at reasonable prices. You want fresh, clean air so you and your loved ones can enjoy a healthy home.

Try going ductless!

A ductless system, or mini split, adds comfort to your home without the hassle of extending your ductwork. It is the perfect heating and cooling solution for new construction, additions, retrofits, and remodeling projects.

At Clear Air Conditioning & Heating, we offer whole-house solutions that help you get the most out of your HVAC investment while adding value to your Glendale home. We believe you should have complete control when it comes to your indoor comfort, safety, and health.

Table of Contents: Why Ductless Is the Way to Go

1. Why Go Ductless in Glendale?
2. How Does a Ductless Mini Split Work?
3. Zone Control Systems vs. Mini Splits
4. What Are the Advantages of a Ductless System?

Why Go Ductless in Glendale?

Air ducts play a vital role in conventional heating and cooling systems—those ducts deliver the goods, ensuring comfortable temperatures throughout your home! But over time, tears and leaks develop in your ductwork, compromising efficiency and reducing overall performance. The US Department of Energy (DOE) estimates leaky ducts can add hundreds of dollars per year to your heating and cooling costs, making air loss an expensive problem that often goes unnoticed.

Most experts agree that leaky ducts allow up to 25 percent or more of your heated or cooled air to escape before it ever reaches your living space. A ductless system eliminates this type of energy loss entirely, offering a more efficient, cost-effective alternative.

How Does a Ductless Mini Split Work?

There are two main parts to a mini split: an outdoor condenser and one or more indoor mounted units (additionally, there is the conduit connecting the outdoor and indoor components). A few small holes and tubing are required to connect the outside refrigerant lines to the indoor units.

Our professionals at Clear Air Conditioning & Heating can select the right mini split system to fit your needs and budget and install it with minimal disruption to your home or office.

Zone Control Systems vs. Mini Splits

You might already know about zone control systems, which allow you to set different temperatures in various areas of your home for personalized comfort. These systems use dampers in your ductwork to direct the airflow precisely where it needs to go, reducing energy waste and improving efficiency. Zone control systems work especially well in large homes with multiple floors, open spaces, and intricate layouts, ensuring each area gets the right amount of heating or cooling.

With a ductless mini-split system, you enjoy all the benefits of a zone control system without the need for ductwork. Each indoor unit operates independently and features its own programmable thermostat, allowing for customized temperature control in every room or zone. This setup not only enhances comfort but also helps lower energy costs by only heating or cooling the spaces in use.

What Are the Advantages of a Ductless System?

A ductless system uses a washable filter instead of a disposable filter, which is used in a traditional system. Best practice involves cleaning the filter frequently—at least once a month, and more so if you have pets or smokers in your home.

Annual maintenance tune-ups and inspections will help extend the life of your system and ensure it runs at full capacity when you need it most.

Here are some other advantages you will enjoy by going ductless:

• Better air quality – Poorly maintained ductwork contributes to indoor air pollution, circulating dust and debris that infiltrates the air ducts through leaks and tears. Eliminating ductwork reduces the chances of exposing your indoor air quality (IAQ) to airborne contaminants.
• More efficient – A quality central air conditioner has a SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating between 14 and 16. A top-performing ductless system will typically have a SEER rating above 20.
• Less noise – Central air conditioners and window units tend to make noise—not so with a ductless mini split. They’re quiet, efficient, and reliable.

Go Ductless Today in Glendale!

Ductless mini split systems use less energy to provide all your heating and cooling needs in Glendale. These innovative systems are environmentally friendly and simple to operate. At Clear Air Conditioning & Heating, we take great pride in informing our customers about quality products and services that add comfort, safety, and health to your home or business.

Call 480-757-9425 or request service online today to learn more about ductless mini splits and similar products.

The post Is It Worth Installing a Ductless Air Conditioner? first appeared on Clear Air Conditioning & Heating and is written by Clear Air Conditioning & Heating.

They’re called ductless mini splits because they don’t require ductwork and consist of two main components—a compact indoor air handler and an outdoor compressor—connected by refrigerant lines. This “split” design allows for efficient, targeted heating and cooling in specific areas.

If you want a versatile HVAC system you can customize from room to room in your Peoria, home, look no further than a ductless mini split.

Like many other homeowners, you may have heard about mini splits but do not know how they work. You might wonder why they are called mini splits or ask, “Will a ductless mini split benefit me?”

These highly efficient systems work year-round to both heat and cool without ductwork. At Clear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., we install the best HVAC systems and would love to help you transform your home comfort with a ductless mini split.

Call us at 480-702-3580 to set up a free consultation to see if a ductless mini split is your best choice for heating and cooling.

In the meantime, this blog will explore everything you need to know about mini splits, from their unusual name to benefits to why you might need one.

Why Is It Called a Mini Split?

The answer is in the mini split’s design.

The system is split into two parts: an indoor air handling unit and an outdoor unit. Mini split units are compact and take up little space compared to conventional, ducted central air systems.

Unlike traditional HVAC systems that use ducts to deliver conditioned air throughout your home, a mini split does not require ductwork. This makes it a perfect solution for homes or spaces without existing ductwork or where installation would be costly and invasive.

How Does a Mini Split Work?

In the summer, a ductless mini split moves heat from your Peoria home and transfers it via refrigerant to the outdoors. In the winter, it extracts heat from outside to inside your home. 

Its outdoor unit contains the compressor and condenser, which is similar to a ducted heat pump.

The indoor unit, which mounts on the wall or ceiling, houses an evaporator coil, fan, and filters, like an air handler in a ducted system. While a central air handler distributes air to ductwork, a mini split’s indoor unit blows it directly into an individual room or heating and cooling zone.

Personalized HVAC Zoning Comfort With Ductless

The outdoor unit can connect to several indoor units, creating an HVAC zone control system throughout your home. Each indoor unit has an independent thermostat, allowing you to customize comfort in your living space.

You can set the temperature higher in one room, lower in the next, or turn it off in a rarely used space. For example, you might want more heat in a room on the north side of your home and less in a space with large, south-facing windows. A customized heating and cooling strategy can help you reduce energy consumption and save money on utility bills.

Are Mini Splits Efficient?

Ductless mini splits are known for their energy efficiency. Since they blow conditioned air directly into their surroundings through indoor air handling units, they do not lose energy through leaks or poorly insulated ducts.

Up to 30 percent of conditioned air moving through the ductwork in an average home escapes through cracks, holes, and poor connections, resulting in higher utility bills. That’s money escaping through those cracks!

Mini splits use inverter technology, which allows them to adjust the compressor speed based on the current heating or cooling demand rather than turning it on and off frequently. This saves you money on utility bills and reduces your carbon footprint.

Do Mini Splits Improve Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)?

Ductwork can accumulate dust, dirt, and other allergens, which can circulate through your home, but since mini splits do not use ductwork, they can improve indoor air quality. Mini split systems also use filters to help purify the air.

Are Mini Splits Difficult to Install?

At Clear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., we can install a ductless mini split quicker than we can a conventional ducted HVAC system. Mini splits are less invasive, with each indoor unit requiring a small hole in the wall where it connects with refrigerant lines.

Ductwork installation, on the other hand, typically cuts into walls or ceilings, requiring alterations to your home.

Why Would I Need a Mini Split?

A ductless mini split is an excellent choice if you live in an older home without ductwork. It offers all the heating and cooling benefits of a traditional system, plus energy efficiency and customized comfort—without installing ductwork.

A mini split is the most practical HVAC option besides portable heating and cooling units for detached buildings such as a remodeled garage or shed. Installing a ducted system in your backyard accessory building does not make good financial sense and extending ductwork from your home is impractical and may be impossible.

Consider installing a mini split if you cannot extend ductwork into a home addition or have an area, such as an attic, where your forced air system struggles to heat and cool.

A mini split can fulfill your need for customized comfort, enabling you to select different temperatures from room to room.

Get a Ductless Quote From Clear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc.

Whether you plan to replace an outdated HVAC system or want to heat and cool a new space, a ductless mini split could be the perfect solution for your Peoria, AZ, home. We can show you how this energy-efficient, flexible, and versatile HVAC system can enhance comfort. Call Clear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. at 480-702-3580 or request estimate online for a free, no-obligation quote. 

The post Why Are They Called Ductless Mini Splits? first appeared on Clear Air Conditioning & Heating and is written by Clear Air Conditioning & Heating.

You probably already know about the advantages of ductless heating and cooling systems—and how they can significantly lower your Peoria, home’s carbon footprint while improving your indoor air quality.

But did you know that going ductless is the perfect solution for many remodeling projects?

A ductless system, also known as a mini split, can add comfort to areas of your Arizona home where ductwork cannot reach.

Whether you are remodeling or adding new living space, our team at Clear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. is ready to assist.

How Does a Ductless Mini Split Work?

A mini split has two major components: an outdoor condenser and one or more indoor mounted units. A small conduit housing the condensate drain, suction tubing, refrigerant tubing, and power cable connects the two units.

You control the temperature using a remote controller or a mobile device app when coupled with a smart thermostat. A ductless system provides year-round comfort, efficiently heating in the winter and cooling in the summer.

Want to add a zone control system? Ductless allows you to add multiple air handlers throughout your home. Doing so creates zoning since each air handler has a separate thermostat. This means different rooms can be set to different temperatures, allowing for personalized comfort and improved energy efficiency.

Remodeling and Ductless Mini Splits

You want to convert an unused room into a workout space or a guest room. It could be the attic, the basement, or even the attached garage. You have plenty of space, but you will need to extend your ductwork for heating and cooling—and that can be costly.

A ductless mini split system avoids that problem!

You can supplement your central HVAC system by adding a ductless mini split to a specific area of your home. No tearing out walls, floors, or chunks of ceiling to add air ducts. A ductless system is much easier to install, making it a budget-friendly option for home renovations.

Avoid Overloading Your Existing HVAC

Ductless mini splits are particularly ideal for additions to homes with an existing HVAC system because a new living space in your home means more work for your HVAC equipment.

Whether you are expanding your living space with a sunroom, enclosing a patio, or building an in-law suite, a mini split will provide efficient and customizable comfort without overloading your existing HVAC system, helping to extend its lifespan.

Add More Comfort to Your Older Home With Ductless

Are you purchasing an older home? Many of our charming historic homes here in Peoria, do not have ductwork. A ductless mini split offers the perfect solution.

Traditional central HVAC systems require bulky ductwork, which can be difficult or even impossible to install in older homes without making significant structural changes. Instead of retrofitting an older home with extensive ductwork, a mini split provides a simple, minimally invasive solution that allows you to maintain the home’s original charm while enjoying modern comfort.

Doing so provides more than comfort—it can save you money: ENERGY STAR® estimates ductless mini splits use 60 percent less energy to heat and 30 percent less energy to cool than central HVAC systems. These savings add up quickly, making a mini split a cost-effective choice in both the short and long term.

You can trust our team at Clear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. to recommend the best ductless solution for your remodeling project. We’ve been serving customers in Peoria, and with quality products from leading manufacturers. Our experienced professionals will guide you through the selection, installation, and maintenance process to ensure you get the best system for your specific needs.

Advantages of Going Ductless in Peoria

The best advantage comes from money saving. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), nearly half of the energy costs in the average home go toward heating and cooling. A ductless system can lower those costs significantly by providing efficient heating and cooling only where needed.

Other advantages you’ll enjoy:

• Less noise – These systems operate whisper-quiet, making them ideal for bedrooms, home offices, and nurseries.
• More flexibility – Ductwork requires grilles or vents you cannot block with furniture. A ductless system has mounted indoor units that attach to the wall or ceiling, freeing up space for your design preferences.
• Improved air quality – Dust, mold, and other contaminants can infiltrate your ductwork. Ductless systems eliminate this issue, providing cleaner, healthier air inside your home.
• Quick installation – Mini splits can typically be installed in just a day or two, causing minimal disruption to your home.
• Year-round efficiency – Ductless systems provide both heating and cooling, eliminating the need for separate systems.
• Rebates – Your system might even qualify for rebates and incentives!

Tax Credits and Rebates for Ductless Systems

Ductless mini split systems can qualify for federal tax incentives and local rebates, making them an energy-efficient and cost-effective choice for heating and cooling. Under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), eligible ENERGY STAR®-certified heat pumps, including ductless systems, may qualify for a federal tax credit of up to 30% of the project cost, capped at $2,000.

Additionally, many state and local utility programs have also begun to offer rebates to encourage energy-efficient upgrades. Peoria, homeowners should check with their local energy provider or speak with a trusted HVAC contractor from Clear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. to explore available incentives and maximize savings.

Call Your Ductless Experts in Peoria

Add more comfort to your Peoria, AZ, home or business. Whether you’re remodeling, adding new space, or upgrading an older home, ductless mini splits offer an affordable, efficient, and customizable heating and cooling solution.

Schedule a free consultation with Clear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. to learn about ductless systems and how they can save you money. Call us today at 623-428-1078 or request service online.

The post Planning to Remodel? Go Ductless first appeared on Clear Air Conditioning & Heating and is written by Clear Air Conditioning & Heating.