My grandparent’s old house was built in the 70s and has always had window units to help with indoor comfort.
They are really old now and that type of cooling is no longer working for them. The house did not have any ductwork so we wondered how we’d get an HVAC installation done without any space for ducts. I accompanied my dad to the HVAC business where we planned to consult an HVAC professional on the quality HVAC options that would be compatible with the house. The HVAC provider gladly informed us that we had the option of using a ductless heat pump which would cover both heating and cooling. The cost of installation and purchase as quoted by the local business was slightly higher than our budget and all the HVAC brands they had on a similar unit were quoted similarly. We got a little discouraged by the cost but an HVAC repairman who overheard us discuss it being unaffordable told us that it would be the best decision we’d make because its energy demands are lower than the rest. That was what made us decide to increase our budget and lucky for us we got a unit that came with its bespoke thermostat as an offer. I had no idea what it would do for the HVAC unit but I learned about its temperature regulation feature and it would also be programmed to alert us when it was time for HVAC maintenance. Another advantage of the unit was that the air filters on it were ultra-efficient in cleaning the air which was a plus because my grandmother’s allergies seemed to get worse with age. The upgrade was needed because they’ve since stopped complaining about it being too hot or cold and maintenance is not as difficult.