Why inverters make the mini-split

Why inverters make the mini-split

Heat pumps have been around for a long time, but changes in their design mean that the heat pump you buy today isn’t your father’s heat pump. One big difference is the use of inverters.

Inverters = $aving$

If you remember nothing else about inverters, remember this: they will save you a lot of money!

Inverters make today’s heat pumps (think mini-splits!) exceptionally efficient, and efficiency is always good news for consumers. What is an inverter and how does it save money?

Compressors are the heart and soul of heat pumps and air conditioners. Some heat pumps have compressors that use an older design. These oldsters are known as rotary compressors or scroll compressors. These compressors expand and contract refrigerants. The expansion and contraction can then be converted into mechanical motion, which the system uses to heat and cool a space.

These compressor designs have been around for more than 100 years, but that’s not what makes them “old.” They’re “old” because they’re not very efficient. These compressors are either 100% “on” or 100% “off.” There’s no in-between, and as it turns out, “in-between” can be very useful.

These old compressors are like a radio that only blasts out sound at full volume; it’s either on all the way, or off completely – nothing in between. In the same way you want the volume on a radio to be adjustable, you want the output of a compressor to be adjustable. That’s exactly what an inverter does.

The inverter allows the compressor to rotate at a lower speed, which uses less energy, creates less noise and extends the life of the compressor. The inverter compressor can still operate at full blast when necessary, but most of the time, full blast isn’t necessary!

This is great news for Boston homeowners, because Boston tends to be humid. Humidity tends to cause air conditioning units to run more often. With old-style compressors, that means the compressor is on all the time and your electricity bills can go through the roof. With an inverter, your compressor may still run a lot, but it runs at a much lower speed and takes much less energy to create the same comfortable, cool air.

If you’d like more information about a ductless mini-split heat pump, please give us a call at New England Ductless at (781) 995-2665. We’ll be happy to show you what a difference a ductless heat pump can make!

Photo Credit: Renee Russell, via FreeImages.com