32 Air Movement
Ductless in Texas
Ben Hubbert, owner of Champion AC gives ACR News a snapshot of air conditioning trends in the US deep south.
FOUNDED IN 2007, Champion AC specialises in residential heating and air conditioning in San Antonio, Texas. Champion AC leads the way in going green and is committed to helping San Antonio residents save money through the use of high efficiency, energy saving, and environmentally-friendly products and services.
Our key market is San Antonio, Texas, and the surrounding communities. We focus on residential air conditioning, with services including air conditioning and heating repair, air conditioner installation and AC design. We also do work with commercial systems for heating and AC installation.
We opened our doors in 2007 and over the past 7½ years, business has grown tremendously. Being in Texas, there is an obvious need for air conditioning repair and installation, but there seems to have been a clear increase in the focus on energy savings. Our local energy company has a variety of energy-saving programs and initiatives.
Over the past five years, especially, we have seen growing interest in systems like ductless and the higher SEER units. There is more of a focus on the best ways to save
energy – ductless is still taking some time to catch on, but it is evident that the heat and increasing energy costs have made homeowners and consumers much more involved in options that will allow them to save. Each year, especially as the summer draws near, our sales for new systems and our calls for AC maintenance and repair have both grown exponentially. While we have seen interest piqued and the sales of ductless AC systems increase, it is a slow growth. Over the past ten years, the percentage increase of using ductless systems has been much higher in Asia and Europe. However, because of the cost of inefficient AC systems that we fondly refer to as old clunkers, the infiltration within our market has started to permeate.
Trends
A couple of trends have been evident. There are numerous homes and businesses that already have AC systems with ductwork. When considering replacement of the older systems for a newer system, often the consumer does not want to deal with removing all of the ductwork and would rather just use a system that can keep the ductwork that is in place. This may have contributed to the growth of
the ductless technology being slower than expected. It may often be easier and less expensive to use the ductwork that exists and replace the system or necessary coil to repair or improve the cooling unit. The other trend is the audience of consumers interested in ductless mini-split air conditioning systems. Ductless AC units have seen the majority of its purchases come from new homeowners, those who are building or have the opportunity to decide on amenities, or consumers of a slightly older demographic, who are established homeowners and more cognizant of the importance of cost savings through energy efficiency. They have a desire to overcome the need or expense of central air conditioning systems.
We believe we are only seeing the beginning of penetration in the market for ductless air conditioning systems. It provides economically-sound solutions for homes and offices without existing ductwork.
Challenges
Challenges that will continue, especially for larger buildings and homes, will include relative cost, airflow quality, the management of condensate and humidity and weather control in the home. A ductless systems, otherwise known as split air conditioner systems, are perfect for home additions, porches and garages, where running ductwork isn’t practical. They also are a good fit for rooms where extra cooling is necessary, like kitchens or large living rooms. Ductless mini-splits are economical to install and provide immediate cooling or heating with an easy to use remote control.
Generally, choosing ductless air conditioning provides customised comfort without taking away from its original beauty. No clunky box or costly construction is necessary to keep the home comfortable. Ductless mini-split systems still have an outdoor condenser, like central systems, and require only a 3-inch hole to connect to the air handler inside. When it comes to home renovation, ductless mini-split systems are the most practical for a cooling upgrade. Major brands like Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric and Goodman offer models with
ACR News July 2014 Visit ACR News online at
www.acr-news.com
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