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I live overseas but have been dealing with my parents houses (bought + still for sale) in the US. In many countries, heat and air are provided through things called "split air conditioners," horizontal units which are mounted on a wall in a room and provide air conditioning (and heat, in the winter). The cooling/heating unit is outside the building (thus the "split").
Why aren't those units available in the US? At $500 each or so, it seems to me increasingly that they would be an excellent and lesser-cost option to the whole-house heating and cooling systems that seem to be standard. However, no one in the US appears to have heard of split systems.
Am I missing a point here, or is the US just a bit behind the ball?
Split system are the majority of the systems in the US. I think you are referring to mini splits like from Daiken, Sanyo...ect..ect...And yes those are here also but they aren't in use much except for single rooms It doesn't cool multiple rooms because it's called ductless and doesn't have a good way to distribute the air.
Here in the US, the standard is too have central heat and air.
We have space heaters and AC window units but you don't find those in the nicer homes here. At least not in areas that get really hot.
I have seen the units you speak of on a show that outlines people who are buying homes in other countries.
Central AC is more likely to distribute the cool air all over a room, rather then it just shooting out of one area. The same is true of heat. Here in the states, if you have a big house, you can install different heating and cooling zones, so your not wasting energy on parts of the house you don't need it in. My parents home had one zone for the upstairs, one zone for the formal living and dining room and guest bedroom and another zone for the den, office and eat in kitchen.
Split system are the majority of the systems in the US. I think you are referring to mini splits like from Daiken, Sanyo...ect..ect...And yes those are here also but they aren't in use much except for single rooms It doesn't cool multiple rooms because it's called ductless and doesn't have a good way to distribute the air.
"Big" has it right.
And Mitsubishi has to be the most popular manufacturer here. Another "problem" with this is because they're for "a room"; nobody wants "boxes" hanging on the side of the house. Neither does the HOA.
They are used primarily for remodeling project that have unusual circumstances that don't allow for conventional type HVAC. They are also very efficient.
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