Ducted or ductless
The ducts you have, or heads on the wall?
Both are heat pumps. The difference is how the air reaches each room, and that comes down to the house: the ducts already in it, the rooms you use, the doors you close. Here's how to tell, from ENERGY STAR's own guidance.
What decides it
What ducts cost you, and what a head can't do
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20 to 30 percent
of the air, lost in the ducts
In a typical house, that's how much of the air moving through the ducts leaks out through holes and poor connections.
Source: ENERGY STAR, Duct Sealing, last checked 2026-10-22.
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20 percent
back, at most
What sealing and insulating ducts can add to a system's efficiency.
Source: ENERGY STAR, Heating and Cooling, last checked 2026-10-22.
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60%
less energy than radiators
ENERGY STAR mini splits move heat instead of making it, so they use up to 60% less energy than standard electric radiators.
Source: ENERGY STAR, Ductless Heating and Cooling, last checked 2026-10-22.
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Closed doors
stop a wall unit
Heat from a ductless head struggles through an open doorway and can't get through a closed one.
Source: ENERGY STAR, Ductless Heating and Cooling, last checked 2026-10-22.
Side by side
From ENERGY STAR's guidance on each.
| Question | Ducted heat pump | Ductless mini split |
|---|---|---|
| Made for | Homes that already have ductwork | Homes, or parts of them, without ducts |
| Goes in | As a drop-in when the central AC or the furnace needs replacing, in most climates | Wall by wall, room by room |
| Covers | Every room the ducts reach | The space around it: heat rises, cool air sinks, and a closed door stops it |
| Whole home? | Yes | Yes, or as an add-on to the system you have |
Source: ENERGY STAR, Ductless Heating and Cooling. Rules and programs change: last checked 2026-10-22.
Source: ENERGY STAR, Air Source Heat Pumps. Rules and programs change: last checked 2026-10-22.
If you keep the ducts
Seal them properly, and never with duct tape: ENERGY STAR says it doesn't last.
In California, putting a new heat pump on existing ducts also brings the duct test: the installer and an ECC-Rater check them for leakage.
Source: ENERGY STAR, Duct Sealing. Rules and programs change: last checked 2026-10-22.
Source: California Energy Commission, 2025 Single-Family Residential Compliance Manual (June 2025). Rules and programs change: last checked 2026-10-22.
Where the outdoor unit goes
Either way there's an outdoor unit, and ENERGY STAR's advice is to keep it away from doors and windows: it releases water when it defrosts in winter, and that water can freeze into icy patches.
Source: ENERGY STAR, Ductless Heating and Cooling. Rules and programs change: last checked 2026-10-22.
Tell us which rooms you live in
The answer depends on the rooms you heat and cool most, and whether their doors stay shut. A walk through the house settles it.
Your house
Which way does yours lean?
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Does the house have ducts already?
If yes
A ducted heat pump may drop right in
It can take over from the central AC or the furnace when one of them is due.
Heat pump installationIf no
Ductless is made for this
Mini splits are designed for houses, or parts of them, that have no ductwork.
Ductless mini-splits -
Is it one room, or an addition, you're trying to fix?
If yes
A single head may do it
A mini split can supplement the system you already have.
If no
Count the closed doors
One wall unit won't carry heat into the rooms behind them.
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Are the ducts old or leaky?
If yes
Fix them, or leave them out
Sealing wins back efficiency; going ductless takes them out of the picture.
Ductwork and airflowIf no
Put them to work
Sealed ducts that already reach every room suit a ducted heat pump.
Tell us what it's doing. We'll take it from there.
Call and describe the problem: the noise, the smell, the room that never warms up. Or book a visit online.
