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Just to add to what the other commentator said, ducted based systems are VERY hard to balance. It is possible using something called an Volume Damper, but it is uncommon (and adjusting them can be challenging, sometimes requiring removal of drywall).

So people COMMONLY wind up with unbalanced floors, and people typically try to fix it by adjusting the vent register opening with mixed success.

Part of the problem is that the thermostat is biased to wherever it is located. You can get systems with remote add-on temperature sensors, but that doesn't by itself adjust where heat/cold is being sent through a ducted system.

The great thing about a Mini-Split is that you're, at minimum, heating each floor independently with its own thermostat. You can then put in e.g. interior door vents that simply let air pass between common areas and the rooms when the doors are closed.

This can go even further with for example two Air Handlers per floor (quad units) on the east and west. So that as the sun moves, the correct level of adjustment can be applied to only the side of the floor that needs it.



I moved from a ducted heating house to a multi head split system house about 18 months ago.

One of the biggest pros (in addition to the improved efficiency of a heat pump) is I heat and cool less space than i did before because i can target individual rooms. When i'm in my office all day I only need to heat my office. When it's hot and I'm struggling to sleep only cool my bedroom. There's no point in heating my living room^^ at 08:30 in the morning if i don't intend to spend time in there till 17:00.

Sure, when it gets to 17:00 my living area might not be comfortable, but that can easily be overcome by turning it on half an hour or so beforehand (either manually or with a timer).

^^ I don't live somewhere where freezing pipes are a concern. But i'd imagine you could just set them differently, slightly above freezing for the rooms you aren't in and a comfortable living temperature in the room you're in.




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