Ductless Vs. Ducted Heat Pump: Which One Is Better?

Heat pumps offer an alternative to central heating or furnaces. They basically take the warm area from one area and move it over to another. They are more efficient than furnaces, which burn fuel to create that heat source.

But is the better choice to go with ductwork or a ductless option? Ducted heat pumps heat the whole home and do so pretty efficiently. They might not be the best to look at but they offer convenience. Ductless installations are cheaper and you don’t have to worry about dust or vermin in the ducts. But they only heat one room, which means you need to have several to heat the entire home.

Before we go any further, it helps to know what the difference is between a heat pump and a furnace. Typically speaking, you will find the latter in most residential structures. They are a central heat source that carries heat through the ducts and into individual rooms.

Whereas a furnace creates that heat through the burning of a fuel, heat pumps take the warm area from one area and move it to another. Heat pumps are a much “greener” option than furnaces since they are not burning any fuels.

And despite its name, heat pumps can also function as an air conditioner since it uses the same process but in reverse. It takes the hot air out of your home and moves it outdoors. So having a heat pump is actually quite versatile.

At first blush, the answer to the question “what is the difference between the two” is obvious. But there is more to it than that. For one, you can use a heat pump with ducts to heat your whole home. You can’t do that with ductless.

Because there are no ducts, ductless heat pumps are meant to heat the room they are in. For smaller spaces, that may suffice. For larger homes, however, it can create an imbalance in temperatures from one room to the next.

Ducted heat pumps tend to keep a more consistent temperature throughout the home. That increased efficiency means having to run it less, which results in lower energy costs. While there may be larger installation costs for a ducted unit, it could wind up saving lots in the long run.

There is a greater importance than ever before in terms of efficiency in energy use. Many have the goal of leaving a smaller carbon footprint but even more still simply want to save on their energy bills. Either reason is fine and finding a more efficient method becomes key.

For that reason, ductless heat pumps are a great choice. They can cut heating costs by as much as 60% compared to electric systems and cooling costs by 30% compared to traditional air conditioners. If you want lower utility bills, going with a ductless setup is a great place to start.

The biggest downfall to ductless units is that they have uneven heating and that they really are only meant to heat one room at a time. But with a heat pump that has ducts, they can deliver far more heat and can do so throughout an entire home.

The better heat distribution is also why they are so efficient. The average ducted heat pump can deliver as much as three times the heat energy as the electrical energy that it uses. That makes them more efficient and eco-conscious than furnaces.

Perhaps the biggest downside to having ducts is what could be in them. At best, there will be a build-up of dust in your ducts. That’s still not good, as that dust can be distributed throughout your home, making it a nightmare for those with allergies.

In the worst-case scenario, it can be a haven for rodents. If you live in a wooded area, there is the risk that they may find solace somewhere in your ductwork. Regular maintenance will help keep your ducts clean and clear.

It is difficult to say which one is definitively better than the other because they are used in entirely different installations. You generally wouldn’t want to use a ductless heat pump for a larger home with more rooms because of the potentially uneven heating. But you wouldn’t necessarily need ducts for a smaller home.

Both units are efficient, more so than furnaces. There are obvious installation costs for ducted heat pumps and even some concern about dust and dirt being trapped in the ducts. But ducted units tend to have a more even distribution of heat, making them more efficient in the long run.

In the end, it really comes down to the size of the property. If you have a smaller square footage it may be more practical to go ductless. But for most homes, where central heating is better served, a ducted heat pump would be the better choice of the two.