6 Ways High-Velocity HVAC Is Built to Help Save You Money

The right heating and cooling system for your home is an investment, both of time spent researching options and of money spent to purchase and install your final pick. While the number of systems on the market may seem daunting, consider it a testament to the fact that today’s homeowners are luckier than ever to have access to so many options and such advanced technology.

One extremely efficient, cutting-edge choice that is gaining traction in new and old homes alike is high-velocity HVAC, like that developed by The Unico System. Also called “small-duct” HVAC for its miniature footprint, this system features narrow, flexible tubing that can be easily routed through existing space within walls, floors, and ceilings to distribute comfort all throughout the house. Unico’s uniquely small design not only delivers comfort everywhere, but it also does so more efficiently and affordably than its bulkier, more traditional heating and cooling competition. If you’re hoping to stretch your dollar without compromising comfort, keep reading to learn all the ways that a small-duct high-velocity HVAC system can save you money, from installation to efficient year-round operation.

One of the best ways to see immediate savings is to ensure that conditioned air gets from the air handler to the targeted room without much loss along the way. While this may sound easy enough, conventional forced-air systems can lose as much as 40 percent of their conditioned air through leakage, especially when ducting is located in unconditioned areas like attics or crawl spaces. This leakage means not only that it will take longer for you to feel comfortable, but also that your HVAC system has wasted energy (and the money you paid for that energy) to heat or cool all that lost air.

In contrast, the smarter and slimmer design of high-velocity HVAC systems allows for much less heating or cooling to be lost through the ducts’ walls. Indeed, The Unico System’s small ducts have inner diameters of just 2 or 2½ inches. With one-third less surface area than conventional ductwork and specially wrapped and insulated supply tubing, the system’s air loss hovers as low as five percent or less. In short, homeowners get nearly all the cooling or heating that they pay for.

Ductwork alone isn’t responsible for a highly efficient system. Unico’s high-tech air handler units are equipped with programmable, variable speed, and electronically commutated motors that use less electricity than their conventional counterparts. In fact, independent studies have shown that The Unico System outperforms conventional air handler units with higher SEER ratings (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, a measure of cooling output divided by energy consumption) in the amount of electrical energy consumed per day. And, because of the system’s superior ducts, owners can be sure that practically none of this efficiency is lost along the way!

When high-velocity air enters your living spaces, it draws the ambient air into its stream to keep the environment at a completely uniform, draft-free comfort level. Thanks to this aspiration air delivery and the system’s unique cooling coil construction, The Unico System removes 30 percent more moisture from homes than conventional or mini-split systems. Less moisture—in other words, lower humidity—means occupants no longer feel compelled to turn down the thermostat for comfort. That’s money in your pocket: Each one-degree increase in the target temperature translates to a 3 percent reduction in energy use, which means that every time you run the system to cool your house, you’re spending less than you would with a conventional system.

Adding a new heating and cooling system to an existing, often older, home tends to be a pricey matter—enough so to drive homeowners to stick with more intrusive, less seamless options like window air-conditioning units and portable heaters. In fact, a good chunk of the cost of installing a traditional system goes toward necessary renovations, such as removing walls to make space for an air handler or adding soffits and dropped ceilings to contain ductwork.

The Unico System‘s slim size has the advantage of extra flexibility. Its main ducting is only one-third the size of conventional HVAC systems’ ducts, and its slim tubing (with an inner diameter of 2 to 2½ inches) can weave through and around existing wall cavities, ceilings, and floors. You won’t have trouble finding room for the system’s modular air handler, either, which can be configured horizontally or vertically to fit a crawl space or even an existing closet, if necessary, rather than stealing square footage from your living area.

In addition to the savings you’ll see in your monthly energy bills, incentives such as home energy loans, energy-efficiency interest rate reductions (EEIRRs) applied to loans, and rebates for installing energy-efficient appliances and central-air systems can help pay for your environmentally friendly investment. Get a leg up on the research with this spreadsheet of incentives by state—many of which extend to installation of The Unico System—that Unico compiled using information provided by the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE).

Finally, don’t forget that the way you manage payment can make an upgrade to a high-velocity HVAC system feel more manageable. For that reason, many Unico Preferred Contractors (UPCs) offer a variety of financing programs to help handle the cost of installation. Contact The Unico System to find a UPC near you to start exploring options today.