by Unico Marketing Team | Jun 27, 2023 | Custom Homes, Design Flexibility, Energy Effeciency
If you’re a custom home builder, you know that every aspect of the project needs to be planned so there are fewer surprises on the job site. An important consideration for any custom home is deciding on what type of HVAC system you’re going to install. After all, HVAC systems affect every room in the home on multiple levels from design, aesthetics, comfort, and more.
To make this crucial decision easier for your next project, learn three important things more custom home builders are prioritizing in HVAC systems.
Custom Home Builders Want to Use Their Trusted Contractors
With some traditional HVAC systems, custom home builders need to use contractors that are identified by the manufacturer, often called “certified pros”. It throws more unknowns into your project, and you can’t be certain that the skill of outside contractors will match your craftsmanship. That’s why more builders want to work with HVAC systems brands that let them use installation contractors they know and trust.
With the Unico System, you can use the contractors you already know. There’s no hassle with this process since Unico is invested in putting your work in the spotlight. The Unico team is happy to train your contractors on how to install our HVAC systems. In fact, we can send a trainer to your job site for a one- or two-day training session. We have manufacturing reps across the country and offer a two-and-a-half days in-factory training once a month.
Builders Want an HVAC System with Design Flexibility
Traditional HVAC systems have the potential to throw off the entire design of a custom home. You have to figure out how to incorporate the ducts, see what the physical configuration will be, all while ensuring it doesn’t compromise the architectural integrity of the home. When you have a custom home HVAC system that offers design flexibility, many of these time-consuming building hassles fade away.
With all the work you put into designing and building a home, don’t let the HVAC system throw things off. It’s one of the main reasons why more custom home builders are choosing the Unico System. The Unico System uses less than one third of the space in the built environment than a traditional system. It can easily be installed in the attic or a closet, so you don’t have to compromise on the custom home design layout. The flexible ducts of the system can be easily woven through ceilings, floors, and wall cavities making installation less construction dependent.
The design flexibility of the Unico System let outlets have a custom look that complements the style of a home’s aesthetic. There is a wide variety of outlet choices that are designed to blend in with the style chosen for your custom home project. Plus, Unico System outlets can be installed in ceilings, floors, and even sidewalls to have a less invasive presence than traditional HVAC systems.
Energy Efficiency is a Major Priority
Builders need to be able to provide tight low-load custom homes to their customers given how in demand they are with buyers. Since more home building projects need tight airflow for added energy efficiency, the small duct / high velocity (SDHV) nature of the Unico System caters to both those needs. Think of it as a custom home HVAC system that was specifically designed to increase energy efficiency.
Third party testing showed that traditional HVAC systems can lose up to 25% of the air that the air handling unit puts out through leaky ductwork. Inconsistent temperatures and high energy bills caused by this statistic often brings down the satisfaction of custom home buyers. In comparison, the Unico System only loses an average of 5%. That means lower energy usage for homeowners and builders get a reliable HVAC system that works towards their tight, low-load standards.
The Unico System is Here to Support Custom Home Builders
The Unico System has everything that custom home builders are looking for in an HVAC system. Our team is committed to supporting builders like you by providing additional assistance with your projects. Contact the Unico Design Services team for a free consultation on the best application of our system for your specific custom home project. For a custom home HVAC system that works with you, choose Unico.
by Unico Marketing Team | Jun 20, 2023 | Custom Homes, Design Flexibility, Energy Effeciency, Indoor Air Quality, Reduced Humidity
You’re probably familiar with traditional HVAC with metal ducting through the home. But mini ducts, like Unico, have a completely different design, which makes them quieter, more efficient and more comfortable. If you’re updating your HVAC, Unico mini duct heating and cooling is a far better choice than traditional heating or air conditioning.
The Problems with Conventional Systems
Winter brings dry air, which can be tough on your skin. Plus, it dries out your nose, which makes you susceptible to viruses and other contagions. A gas furnace makes these conditions worse because the flame used to heat the air eliminates the moisture. Unico uses electric heat, which doesn’t consume oxygen or remove moisture from the air.
Traditional, metal ducts leak air through gaps at the seams, causing heat and air loss, which is a major waste of energy. Homes with traditional ductwork lose up to 60% of their heated air before it reaches the register.
The Unico mini duct system are designed to prevent thermal loss. The tubes are built with a nylon core, which is then wrapped with insulation, and finally wrapped with an outer vapor barrier to stop moisture from entering or exiting the air stream. Also, The Unico System uses a lock-and-release connector that clicks into place, giving Unico an airtight fit.
Why Unico is Better Than Conventional Ducting
Ever hear the heating or air kick on? When the furnace or AC unit blasts air through a home with traditional ducts, it causes vibration, which generates noise and echoes through the metal ducting. Owners of The Unico System don’t even hear it running, thanks to the sound attenuators, which prevent vibration, and the nylon insulated core that absorbs noise.
Nobody wants their HVAC system taking up living space. If you’re renovating an older house, wouldn’t you want ducting that you can hide away inside existing walls and ceilings? Adding a traditional system during a home renovation often requires adding soffits or dropped ceilings to hide the ducting. But mini ducts are made of flexible tubing, which can be threaded through the ceiling and maintain the home’s interior design.
New custom home builders also prefer Unico for its compact design. Builders of custom homes design beautiful interiors to satisfy homeowners’ personal styles. A mini duct system is perfectly designed to feature the architecture and not the HVAC.
The Best HVAC System Available
You want home heating and air conditioning that creates a comfortable environment that’s energy efficient, quiet and unobtrusive. That’s not too much to ask, and Unico delivers!
What to learn more about whether the Unico System is right for you? Find a local contractor to learn more
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by Unico Marketing Team | Jun 14, 2023 | Custom Homes, Design Flexibility, Older Homes, Space-Saving Solutions
The answer to this question is: No. In fact, high velocity heating air conditioning systems are built to be whisper quiet. Noise from a high velocity air conditioner typically occurs when a system is improperly installed.
A small duct high velocity (SDHV) air conditioning system is the quieter alternative to both split systems and traditional ducted systems. Our Experienced high velocity air conditioning contractors (like Unico Preferred Contractors) are trained on proper SDHV installation systems and can quickly diagnose and fix system noise problems.
Quiet Duct Work
SDHV air conditioner systems use small, flexible supply tubing, rather than the large ductwork found in traditional HVAC units, making SDHV perfect for custom homes.
Unlike traditional ductwork, the flexible supply tubing of The Unico System is wrapped in special sound-absorbing insulation. This special insulation (sometimes called sound attenuators or duct silencers) and a porous inner lining create a thick, padded barrier that prevents sound from escaping and groaning when the system cools the air. The design also has naturally built-in shock absorption that prevents the high velocity air from causing vibrations.
Silent Under High Static Pressure
Traditional ducted AC systems are ridged and bulky. Air pushed through large ducts stress them and causes them to vibrate. That’s the hum you hear throughout a house with a traditional AC system.
High velocity ductwork is designed to function under high static pressure. The tubing is made with nylon, which is then wrapped with insulation, and finally wrapped with an outer vapor barrier to reduce thermal loss. This creates multiple layers of padding, adding to the sound absorption and reducing noise.
For particularly large rooms, Unico Preferred Contractors (UPCs) typically include 12 feet of sound attenuator for each air supply tube. For smaller spaces, contractors can select sound attenuator in 3-foot sections and inserted wherever additional sound absorption is desired.
Avoid HVAC System Choking
To ensure quiet performance, ducts and outlets need enough space for proper airflow, otherwise tight choke points will cause noise. At each outlet, our UPCs are trained to leave a 6-inch turn radius or use a Unico 90-degree outlet. Ducts will be free of choke points and air flows evenly throughout a home, which reduces noise. The greater the radius near the outlet, the quieter the run will be.
Noise-Free with Draft-Free Cooling
Homeowners with high velocity heating and cooling don’t experience HVAC system noise because of the SDHV system outlet size. Traditional large-ducted systems require vents 5 inches wide and up to 30 inches long, from which air is dumped into the room without circulating. But a small duct, high velocity system only needs round outlets that are 2-2 ½ inches in diameter. With a few of these small outlets in a room, air flows evenly, and the system gently releases cooled air without blasting.
When noise does occur with a SDHV system, a common problem is something obstructing the air flow either inside or outside the outlet. Like the airflow of any central air system, high velocity air conditioning needs unobstructed outlets to operate properly. This will help the overall comfort of the home as it will allow the air to better circulate, creating more even temperatures.
Advantages of Tuning the System
A Small Duct High Velocity System from Unico also has another advantage. Through the use of EC motor / blower technology the Unico System can have its airflow “tuned” or optimized for efficiency and sound levels desired by the home or business owner.
Interested in high velocity air conditioning in your home? Find a Unico Preferred Contractor near you for a free quote and to learn more about AC noise reduction.
by Unico Marketing Team | Jun 12, 2023 | Custom Homes, Design Flexibility, Older Homes, Space-Saving Solutions
Small duct, high velocity (SDHV hvac) air conditioner systems, like the Unico System, are a smart way of adding modern A/C to homes that don’t have the room for the large ductwork associated with traditional AC units. Small duct high-velocity hvac systems do not require extensive build-out and will not disrupt your home’s original interior or exterior. They also quietly deliver conditioned air through flexible supply tubes at a higher static pressure or velocity, and here’s how.
The Unico System is extremely quiet because of its special sound-absorbing insulation supply tubing. The tube’s core is made with nylon, which is then wrapped with insulation, to absorb sound, and finally wrapped with an outer vapor barrier to stop moisture and also to reduce thermal loss. The supply tubes are often referred to as sound attenuators, or duct silencers, due to the sound-deadening properties of the duct. We insulate our air handler and use vibration pads on the system to reduce vibration and add extra sound absorption. This is how we ensure quiet operation. In most cases, people don’t even notice the system is running. Use our audio tool to experience the quiet of the Unico System.
In addition to absorbing sound for a quiet operation, space saving hvac systems, like the Unico System, delivers uniform temperature air without creating drafts. The Unico System blowers exceed the U.S. Department of Energy requirements for SDHV A/C systems requiring a minimum external static pressure of 1.2 inches of water (0.3 kPa) at the rated airflow when installed with the compatible Unico cooling module. All cooling modules are available in Heat Pump, Chilled Water, and refrigerant configurations.
Find a contractor near you to learn if Unico’s small duct, high-velocity system is right for your home!
by Unico Marketing Team | Jun 8, 2023 | Design Flexibility, Limited Space, Older Homes
Looking at installing ductwork in an older home, but don’t want to renovate the whole house? A small duct system can be installed in an old home without tearing up walls or putting in dropped ceilings. Its efficient, compact design is made to fit small spaces in homes without existing ductwork.
Making It Fit
Old homes aren’t always the most spacious. Small rooms and lack of closet space are common characteristics of past residential architecture. Minimizing the use of new ductwork, especially if you want to keep the current footprint, is why the Unico System works so well.
Unico’s small duct system was engineered with small spaces in mind. The Unico System ducts are a quarter of the size of traditional ductwork and easily fit inside standard wall cavities. Unico small ducts are designed to fit your home, instead of large ductwork that changes your home.
How Small Ducts Are Installed
When you’re retrofitting a house with air conditioning, the idea of installing ductwork in an older home might sound like a major construction project. That doesn’t have to be the case. Unico ducts are small enough to fit in existing walls and ceilings. They’re also flexible, so they can be threaded through spaces and adapt where needed.
The Unico System air handling unit is small enough to be installed in an attic or other out-of-the-way space. Unico ductwork seals with an airtight fit, making sure 100% of the air moves from the central unit throughout the house. Plus, the flexible ducts are made with a nylon core and insulated, preventing thermal loss and maintaining comfortable temperatures in every room in your home.
Whisper Quiet Operation
Because the nylon core is insulated, it’s naturally sound absorbent. Compared to other types of air conditioning systems, Unico is whisper quiet.
Take traditional ducting. Wide, metal traditional ducts are basically echo chambers, so when the system kicks on, that noise is amplified as it’s carried along the air stream. Mini split and ductless systems are noisy, too. With Unico, the air handler can be installed in the attic, but mini split systems are mounted on the wall in every room and will always be operating nearby.
Unico systems are not only designed to absorb sound but can also be customized with additional methods of reducing potential noise. Sound attenuators can be added to reduce vibration. If you’re still experiencing noise, ask your local Unico Preferred Contractor (UPC) about adjusting the layout. Check out the Unico Quiet Guide for other ways your UPC can help.
Ready-to-Install
Unico’s small duct system is customized to your needs, so you already have the space you need for installing ductwork in an older home. You don’t have to renovate. Unico can be installed to fit your home, so contact our Design Services team for more information.
