A wall heat pump is a great idea for a home or room without any existing ductwork. These “mini split” systems is a good way to heat a small home, like a cabin.

A wall heat pump is like a standard heating and cooling system, except that it doesn’t need any air ducts in order to work like a central air heat pump. There are two basic parts to the system: slim profile air handler for inside the home (that is usually mounted on a wall hence the “through wall heat pump” nickname) and an outside unit that contains the compressor and fan-motor.

Because everything connects via conduit through the walls, no ductwork has to be installed or used. That makes this system very, very easy to install and great with home that have open floor plans. As well in homes that were built before central air became popular.

Most people would think that such a small unit wouldn’t be as effective or efficient as a larger unit. In actuality most wall heat pumps can easily heat four different “zones” or rooms using a single outside compressor.

So in many cases a wall heat pump is more efficient than a standard heating pump and many brands offer ultra-high efficiency models. But you have to make the choice between lower purchase prices vs. long term energy savings.

Why a Wall Heat Pump Instead of Standard Heat Pump?

There are many advantages to buying a wall heat pump in place of getting a regular heat pump. The first thing to consider would be the lower installation fees and equipment purchase price for a wall unit. While a deluxe model through wall heat pump can easily cost as much as a standard, in most cases, you will not need one as powerful.

The next advantage would be the ease of replacing or supplementing the current heating or cooling system without worry about adding expensive ductwork or remodeling parts of the house to retrofit a larger unit.

And since a wall heat pump doesn’t use air ducts, all the heating or cooling goes directly to where you need it. No heat or cool air is lost through leaky air vents so your house and rooms stay warmer or cooler longer.

Even a standard through the wall heat pump can have a SEER rating of 20 or better with a HSPF rating over 10. When you compare this to a regular high efficiency heat pump which only gets a SEER rating between 14 and 18 and a HSPF between 8 and 10, you can see why many home owners buy these units just for the energy savings alone.

Another added bonus is that most of these units can easily heat and cool an entire house without any auxiliary heating sources, especially if the whole building is less than 1000 square feet or the home’s floor plan is fairly open.

Of course these systems may not be to everyone’s liking; especially since the inside air handler units are most commonly mounted high overhead on a wall or in a drop ceiling. But if you have no problems with their appearance and want to save money then a wall heat pump may be right for you.