Ductless Air Conditioners Key Terms

Learn fundamental terms that relate to ductless air conditioners

By Sherry Grant

Ductless air conditioners operate by cooling a building without the use of ducts. An indoor air handling unit, an outdoor compressor with a condenser and a conduit make up a ductless air conditioning system. Ductless air conditioners come in single, tri-zone and dual-zone systems. LCD wireless remote controls can be used to comfortably control a ductless system. Ductless air conditioners are economical, cost efficient and compact. The size of ductless AC units make them ideal for smaller homes and businesses.

Ductless or mini-split air conditioners

Ductless conditioners are AC units that do not require ductwork for indoor air conditioning. Unlike AC units in windows, they are placed inside the room and have only a 3-inch hookup to connect the indoor air unit to the outdoor compressor. They are easier to install, more energy efficient and safer than window units.
Try: Ductless Depot explains what ductless air conditioners are and how they work. Ductless Depot also covers information on common problems with ductless units.

Ductwork

Ductwork is a system of ducts or tubes in a building used to circulate air for ventilation, cooling or heating purposes.
Try: WiseGeek explains ductwork, ductwork types and how they work.

Conduit

A conduit connects the outdoor and indoor air conditioning units through a small 3-inch drilled hole in a ductless air conditioning system. The conduit also holds tubing, cable and a drain. The hole makes ductless AC systems safer than window units and easier to install.
Try: Air Conditioner Home discusses the advantages of purchasing a ductless air conditioning system. Air Conditioner Home also describes the conduit and explains how ductless systems work in general.

British Thermal Units, or BTUs

A BTU is the amount of energy needed to heat one pound of water by one degree. It is the unit commonly used to measure the energy capacity of heating and cooling systems, including portable air conditioners.
Try: Air & Water lists the BTU capacity of each portable air conditioner it sells. Good Housekeeping has a BTU calculator that can tell you how powerful an air conditioner must be to cool your space.

SEER rating

SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating, and is used to measure central and ductless air conditioning systems.
Try: AJ Madison explains more about SEER. ToolBase Services gives the minimum SEER rating requirements for ductless air conditioning systems.

Dual-zone and tri-zone split air conditioners

Dual- and tri-zone split ductless air conditioners come with two and three indoor evaporators, respectively. The evaporators can be used to cool different areas, but they are powered by a single outdoor unit.
Try: Air Mechanical sells Samsung tri-zone split ductless air conditioners and lists their benefits.