Houses in Levittown were built at the beginning of suburbia, well before central air conditioning was available residentially. Since oil heat has always been used here, the houses contain no ductwork to use with an AC condenser.

For years, our homeowner relied on opening his windows and using fans and a few window AC units to stay cool. But as the summers have gotten hotter over the last few years, he realized this just wouldn't do the trick anymore.

So, he called ECI Comfort to see what other options were out there.

In this case study, we’ll look at how ductless air conditioning can handle an entire Levittown home without the added expense and hassle of ductwork.

Problem: Our homeowner loved his classic Levittown home; but without central air, he had to rely on noisy, bulky, and expensive window AC units all summer. 

Solution: ECI Comfort installed a Mitsubishi Ductless Mini-Split cooling system with three indoor air handlers.

How Ductless Air Conditioning Works

Ductless air conditioning uses two components to cool your home. There’s an indoor air handler that dehumidifies and circulates the air, which then sends warm air outside to a heat pump that expels that thermal energy. The air handlers are also known as "mini-splits."

To connect these two parts, all you need is a small line set running between the two. The heat transfers through refrigerant fluid, and a second line takes care of draining water vapor as it condenses. It’s simple to run these in a small line set through a wall out to the heat pump. 

With ductless systems, there’s no need to spend hundreds, if not thousands more, to design, build, and install ductwork. You also don’t lose living space the way you would when you run ducts through every room. 

Instead, installation is fast and easy, and there’s plenty of flexibility in the design too. 

“Zoned Cooling” With Ductless AC

Since each air handler has an independent thermostat, we can place them in different parts of the house, effectively creating “zoned HVAC." That means every room with a unit in place can get its own level of comfort at any time.

Another advantage of ductless is how well the system circulates air. Each indoor unit uses sensors and small fans to create comfort throughout each area. The sensors can pinpoint hot spots and direct air right to those points.

Now, let’s see how our Levittown homeowner created a new level of comfort in his home with his Mitsubishi Ductless system. 

Installing Mini-Splits in a Levittown Home

It only took three indoor components -- one in both upstairs bedrooms and one in the living room -- to create the perfect mini-split system for this home. 

With a unit in each bedroom, both rooms will always be treated, even if someone decides to keep their door closed a lot. And since the rooms downstairs are all connected by open doorways, one unit for the entire first floor was sufficient. 

On the first floor, we found the perfect spot to be in front of the windows. The air handler follows the contour of the room to blend in, and it was easy to run the lines through the wall behind it.

Outside, we placed the heat pump on the deck. That’s something you’d never do with a traditional AC condenser -- it would take up too much room and be far too noisy. 

In this case, however, it wasn’t a problem. 

The Mitsubishi heat pump is much skinnier and sleeker than those older units. Better yet, it barely makes a sound! So there was no problem tucking it away — it will never interrupt a party, barbecue, or even a peaceful afternoon outside. 

More Benefits of a Mini Split

As if finally having whole-home comfort isn't an amazing benefit on its own, our homeowner’s new mini-split is also whisper-quiet and saves him a ton of money every summer. 

Quiet Operation

Each air handler generates less than 30 decibels of sound. That’s much less than a window unit or traditional forced-air system would make. 

In fact, the loudest it gets is about the same as people whispering in a library. So, there’s no problem having a conversation or watching TV while the system is working. 

Energy Efficiency

Mini-splits also use a fraction of the energy that other cooling systems require. Now, our homeowner won’t watch his electric bill explode every summer so that he can stay cool. 

Having each air handler work independently plays a significant role here. Once the first floor is cool, that unit goes into low-power mode, then the others keep going if necessary. 

Eventually, they all go into “cruise control,” which means they operate in that low-power mode to maintain the temperature. 

This system is a lot more efficient than the old way where the AC clicks on when it gets too hot. This process causes significant wear-and-tear and requires a lot of energy to keep starting back up, being that it’s always working extra to correct the temperature instead of holding it steady.

All in all, our homeowner couldn’t be happier with his new system. He gets to keep the look and feel of his classic Levittown home and feel  much more comfortable in the summer. 

If you’d like to know how a system like this can reduce your energy bills and keep your home cooler this summer, contact ECI Comfort today.