March 2024
By: Josh Walejewski
Read Time: 2 Minutes
If you live in an older home built before the 1960s and 70s, you’re likely familiar with the challenges of installing a traditional forced air heating and cooling system. Adding modern amenities like air conditioning can seem like a distant dream, especially if your home has a historical designation.
Before central heating and air conditioning systems became widespread in the 1960s, most homes relied on boiler systems for heating and lacked ductwork for central AC. Moreover, these homes often lack the space to accommodate traditional ducts without adding unsightly and bulky soffits or dropped ceilings to the living area.
However, there’s a sophisticated HVAC system available that can turn your dream of a comfortable home year-round into reality. And we’re not talking about mini-split or ductless systems—we’re talking about the small-duct high-velocity heating and cooling system from Unico®.
What is a Unico High Velocity Small Duct System?
Small duct high-velocity HVAC systems provide a unique solution for integrating modern heating and air conditioning into homes lacking space for conventional ductwork. Thanks to the Unico System’s small duct design, extensive remodeling and retrofitting can be almost entirely avoided. Ductwork is threaded through tight spaces such as walls, ceilings, and floors, preserving the original interior and exterior of your home without disruption.
The Unico System® vs Traditional HVAC Systems
Ductwork
Unico’s mini duct design is what truly sets it apart from traditional heating and cooling systems. Exactly how small is Unico’s ductwork? Unico System ducts are about a quarter of the size of traditional ductwork. At 2–2.5 inches in diameter, its mini-duct design makes it one of the least invasive systems on the market.
Sound Levels
Compared to traditional HVAC systems, the Unico system is whisper-quiet. Have you ever heard a standard forced air system while it’s on? The whooshing air blowing through the ductwork, the blower motor wheel turning tirelessly. Perhaps you’ve even overheard a conversation someone is having in another room through one of the registers.
This is typical of traditional ductwork because it’s wide and metal, acting as an echo chamber or amplifier for whatever sounds might be created within the system. Even when your equipment cycles on, the noise can often be carried throughout the ductwork of the system into each conditioned space.
Unico’s small flexible ducts are made with a nylon core and wrapped with insulation that makes them naturally sound-absorbing. Additionally, sound attenuators can be added to further reduce potential noise and vibration.
Efficiency
Speaking of insulated ductwork, did you know Unico’s mini-duct system is vastly superior in terms of efficiency? Not only is Unico’s unique ducting insulated to prevent thermal loss as air moves throughout your home, it’s also nearly 100% airtight.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for standard ductwork, where gaps at the seams can lead to air leaks. According to a third-party test, the Unico system loses less than 5% of air volume output, compared to a 25% loss with conventional ductwork.
Visual Appeal
I’d argue that most homeowners don’t enjoy looking at their air registers. They are bulky, disrupt floor trim, collect dust, and for the most part, are an eyesore. Wouldn’t it be great if your registers blended seamlessly into your home’s existing aesthetic? Unico air supply outlets do exactly that.
Not only are they incredibly small compared to traditional registers, but they are also available in a variety of colors and finishes. They can even be painted or stained to match woodwork, walls, ceilings, and floors! This makes the Unico system ideal for custom and historical homes because they blend in and fit in hidden spaces.
Check out some of the photos below and see if you can spot the air supplies on a Unico system!
Conclusion
Whether you have a historical home or are building a modern custom home, you won’t want to overlook the unique benefits the Unico system brings. If your older home doesn’t accommodate traditional HVAC ductwork, Unico offers an ideal solution.
Kettle Moraine is proud to be one of Unico’s preferred contractors in SE Wisconsin. As an A+ Unico provider, we’re factory and field-trained, having installed enough Unico systems to be awarded with Unico’s Veteran Badge.
Read more blog posts from Kettle Moraine Heating & AC.
About the Author
Josh Walejewski
Josh is a professional marketer who has worked in the HVAC industry since 2017. With a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences Degree (B.A.A.S) in marketing and sustainable business management from the University of Wisconsin, he has a passion for all aspects of HVAC, business, marketing, and environmental stewardship.
