The floor-mounted mini split and the wall-mounted ductless mini split seemingly have one difference: their positioning. While this may be the case, the position of the unit, as well as its availability, may affect your decision in choosing one or the other. Read on below to understand the pros and cons of each type of cooling system.
What is a Floor-mounted Mini Split System?
A floor-mounted mini split unit is, as its name suggests, a ductless mini split air conditioner mounted at ground level instead of the wall space. Floor-mounted ductless systems are great for quick cooling as they provide warm or cold air from the ground up, instead of cooling the space from up-down. They are sometimes referred to as vertical air handler units.
Pros
Energy Consumption
Floor-mounted systems are energy efficient like most mini split systems. Inverter units with heating and cooling capabilities result in additional energy-savings. They can provide heated or cold air at a fraction of the energy used by conventional units.
Cooling Power
The floor-mounted ductless system is an effective cooling system as it is able to cool down spaces quickly due to its positioning. These units have an average BTU rating ranging from 24,000 BTU to above 200,000 BTU - capable of cooling down more than 2,500 square feet of space! However, cooling may be uneven as the cold air stays at ground level.
Cons
Budget
Floor-mounted mini splits are more expensive than wall-mounted units. These units can cost around 4x the price of a wall-mounted unit, particularly as not all brands and models have a floor-mounted variant. Floor-mounted units cost at least $1,400 for a fair-quality unit, to $4,000 for larger units with more powerful compressors.
Space Requirements
A floor-mounted indoor unit takes up a significant amount of floor space. The unit itself does not take up much space as they are designed to be sleek, but you will need to keep the area surrounding the floor-mounted indoor unit clear for proper air circulation. These units need a significantly large area set aside for the cooling system.
Maintenance
Because floor-mounted units are so close to the ground, they catch dirt and dust easier. Cleaning the unit can be a hassle as the filter needs to be washed more frequently, and the coils must be vacuumed weekly to prevent accumulated dust from forming clogs in the unit.
What is a Wall-mounted Mini Split System?
Wall-mounted mini splits are the standard mini split systems common in modern home and office spaces today. They are sleek and discreet, and use up wall space instead of window or floor space, staying out of your way as you go about your daily tasks. The wall-mounted ductless mini split system is adhered to the wall, not the ceiling like a ceiling cassette unit.
Pros
Budget
Mini split wall-mounted systems are common across multiple brands and models in the market. Because of their availability, they are relatively affordable compared to other types of air conditioners. Wall-mounted systems are priced around $500 for a fair-quality unit, but larger systems with multiple indoor units can cost $5,000 and above.
Energy Consumption
Mini splits are known to be energy efficient, particularly with inverter technology, and smart remote control units that connect to mobile devices. These modern technologies optimize energy usage for the air conditioner, providing cooling comfort without the high electricity consumption.
Cooling Power
Wall-mounted mini splits consist of an outdoor unit, and a single zone or multi-zone indoor system. Wall-mounted units can have a BTU rating between 12,000 BTU to 60,000 BTU, which is above the BTU ratings of window air conditioners and portable units. They are capable of cooling medium to large spaces, and can cool multiple zones at a time.
Maintenance
Maintenance for wall-mounted air conditioners is straightforward. Since they are wall-mounted, they don't accumulate as much dust as floor-mounted air conditioners do, and can be cleaned by accessing the air filters and coils, and removing the dust particles with a vacuum cleaner.
Cons
Space Requirements
Not all walls can accommodate the weight of a wall-mounted unit, and not every space can install a cooling system through the wall. Because of these constraints, wall-mounted units are limited, and cannot be installed without ample wall space.
Floor-mounted Unit vs. Wall-mounted system: What's the Difference?
The Verdict
At first glance, wall-mounted units and floor-mounted units seem to be cut from the same cloth, but the positioning of these units determine their performance, with the floor-mounted ductless mini split systems providing faster but uneven cooling.
Wall-mounted mini split systems are preferable as they do not take up floor space, and are generally accessible with a wide range of brands and models to choose from. However, if space does not permit you to mount an indoor unit to your wall, or your wall cannot accommodate wall fixtures, then consider purchasing a floor-mounted unit instead.
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