My mom wanted to get a new HVAC system before summer arrived.
For two months, I watched her and dad vacillate between having central HVAC installed, or buying a ductless HVAC system.
They already had ductwork, and had been using central HVAC for almost twenty years, but that was how old the equipment was. They installed new central heating and air conditioning when they bought the house. The ductwork was already in the house, and they figured it had to be at least fifty years old. When they last had the ductwork cleaned, the HVAC company found more cracks and holes than it had three years earlier. Dad was thinking the metal was getting old, and would soon be rusting inside, if it wasn’t already. Adding the cost of new ductwork to the cost of new HVAC equipment was going to be out of their comfort level. Dad said they couldn’t afford to have new ductwork installed and purchase the new HVAC equipment. I walked in and told dad I had been watching an infomercial from the local HVAC company. They were talking about ductless HVAC systems. The mini split ductless HVAC system was cheaper to run. It didn’t use fossil fuel and was efficient in heating and air conditioning. He told me he had seen the same infomercial, which was why he and mom were considering ductless HVAC. He asked my opinion, which surprised me. I was eighteen, and never once he asked for my opinion. I had to go with the ductless. We had ductless HVAC installed in time for summer.