If it's time for a new air conditioner, you might be tempted to explore the benefits of a ductless AC system. Ductless air conditioners can provide comfort improvements and energy savings in a lot of situations, but you have to make sure one is right for your home. Here's what you should consider.

Do You Have an Existing Central Air Conditioning System?

If you have an existing central air conditioning system, the smart move might be just changing out your air conditioner. If you use window air conditioners or don't have air conditioning so you don't have ducts, installing ducts can be outright messy. You need to have someone run ducts through your attic and possibly remove insulation or support beams along the way. You'll also need to cut holes in your ceilings to install the vents, patch them back up, and then repaint your ceiling so it matches. If you need to replace your ducts because they're old and leaky or too small for the new air conditioner you need, the same problems apply. If you don't want to deal with ducts, ductless air conditioning is the perfect solution.

Do You Have Unused Rooms?

If you have rooms you rarely use or spent most of your time in one room, ductless air conditioning may also be your answer. Ductless air conditioning has separate units and controls for each room or nearby set of rooms. Instead of cooling your entire house, you can only turn the air conditioner on in the room that you're using. If you're worried about humidity or mold in your other rooms, you can leave them set to a higher temperature instead of having them turned off completely.

Do You Care About Noise?

If you have a window or portable air conditioner, the noise can be almost unbearable even if you paid extra for a quieter model. You should not expect the same type of noise with a ductless air conditioner. Like a central air conditioner, most of the noisy parts are outside. There is a little noise with a ductless air conditioner since the blower is in the room you're in, but this is much quieter than any window air conditioner. In fact, if you have an older central air conditioner without good noise blocking, your new ductless air conditioner may even be quieter.

To learn more about whether you should choose a ductless AC system, contact an air conditioning installation company like Bowen Refrigeration to get started.