Ductless split and mini–split systems are relatively new types of air conditioners that have been growing in popularity in recent years in the southern states. As their name implies, these air conditioning systems manage to cool your home without needing ductwork. This is of particular benefit if your home doesn’t already have ducts installed or if there simply is no room for them even if you wanted to put them in.

A ductless split AC system is made up of an outdoor unit and at least one indoor unit that can be mounted on your wall or ceiling. These indoor units are connected to the outdoor unit through a refrigerant line and take care of circulating and cooling the air in the room they’re installed in.

These ductless systems have many benefits, including a greatly reduced installation cost because there is no need to put in ducts. Mini–splits are available for small spaces, such as one or two rooms, and can also be expanded to create up to eight separate climate zones in your home. This gives you a much more refined level of control than you would have with most traditional, duct–based systems. These air conditioning units are generally very energy efficient as well.