If you have a sunroom in your home, or have recently added one, you may have discovered it is not as comfortable year ‘round as you expected.

There a few options you can consider to make your space more enjoyable 365 days a year:

• Temporary solutions such as space heaters and free-standing cooling units.
• Expanding the existing ductwork in the home to the sunroom. You may have to increase your existing system (such as from a 2-ton unit to a 2 ½-ton).
• Adding a ductless heating and cooling system (also know as a mini split).

To give you all of your options, we would need to see the space and existing system, but we find that more often than not, ductless heating and cooling systems are the best solution for rooms that always seem to be too hot or too cold. These compact systems come in a variety of styles and sizes that provide personalized comfort control.

Your sunroom is likely also your sanctuary, and you can rest assured that a ductless system operates efficiently and quietly.

Some of the benefits of choosing a mini split system include:

• Flexibility: just add the ductless system where you need it (such as your sunroom)
• Efficiency: mini split systems have high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratios (“SEER”)
• Individual temperature control for each space
• No need to add costly ducts where none exist
• Less chance of leakage
• Better air quality, due to the top-notch air filtration systems that are included
• Low maintenance. There is no annual check-up needed on a ductless air conditioner. You will want to have it cleaned when it gets dirty and change your filters regularly, but that’s it as far as maintenance requirements.

How Mini Split (Ductless) Systems Work

In a ductless air conditioner, there are two main components: an outdoor compressor or condenser and an indoor air handling unit, typically connected by a conduit that includes a drain line, refrigerant tubing, suction tubing, and a condensate drain.

The compressor or condenser is installed outside the home or structure and the conduit is run from the outdoor unit to individual rooms where a controlled temperature is desired. Wall-mounted interior units are then placed in the spaces you want to cool or warm (such as your sunroom), which is accomplished by refrigerant flowing between the outdoor and indoor units through copper tubing in the conduit.

Mini split systems can control anywhere from one to nine zones. So, if you plan to add a ductless system to your sunroom, you may want to consider if any other rooms in your home require additional heating and/or cooling. We have put air handlers in a variety of spaces: basements, bedrooms, additions, garages, home offices, etc.

You may be worried that your sunroom is all windows and there is nowhere to put the mini split. Air handlers come in a variety of mounting options:

• Wall mount (this is the preferred method)
• Floor mount
• Ceiling mount
• Multi-positional

Interested in a Mini Split Installation for Your Sunroom and/or Another Room?

Contact Mode at admin@modecomfort.com or 804-481-6633 to schedule a free in-home estimate. The technician will take into account:

• How many rooms you want to heat or cool
• The square footage of each room
• The ceiling height of each room
• How many windows are in each room
• The size and type of the windows
• Sun exposure of the home or space
• Type of insulation
• Type of roof
• Type of foundation (crawl space, slab, etc.)
• Doorways and openings to the rooms

This information will help him work up a quote for your ductless system installation and get you on the right track to make your sunroom an all-season room.