My house is big and old with high ceilings and big windows.
We are gradually making home improvements but the projects are expensive and time-consuming. We are working on replacing windows, installing a new roof and adding insulation. Despite having a forced air furnace, certain rooms are drafty and often chilly. There are simply not enough vents to handle the demand of the local winters. The temperatures below zero and brutal wind chill are a big challenge for more than half the year. The kitchen in the house is especially chilly. At one point, we invested into a pellet stove that was a disaster. It required constant refilling and re-lighting. It was messy, ugly and took up quite a bit of space. I was very unhappy with it. We eventually replaced the pellet stove with a ventless gas heater. The ventless gas heater was a single stage model that could only operate at maximum capacity. It would blast heated air until it brought the temperature of the room up to the thermostat setting and then shut off completely, creating unpleasant temperature swings. The unit was extremely sensitive to the slightest buildup of dust. A red warning light would start blinking and the heater would no longer shut down. It would pump out hot air non stop, making me concerned about it overheating and becoming a safety risk. Just recently, I finally invested into a ductless mini-split. The indoor air handler is mounted up high on the wall, unobtrusive and quiet. It features inverter technology that allows the system to automatically adapt output to maintain a very consistent temperature. The ductless heat pump provides especially energy efficient heating and cooling. It keeps the kitchen perfectly comfortably year round.