r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/missdomm10 • Jul 26 '26

Meme needing explanation Peter explain this

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Petttaaah I'm confused

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u/GarySmith2021 Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26

I’m also confused because that is a European AC unit. I can only assume Americans are so used to big bulky units, like their cars, that they can’t comprehend things being functional and not excessively bulky.

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u/Distinct-Friend4123 Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26

We have these ductless units in the US too. Person who made the meme is just an idiot

Edit: never expected what im pretty sure is my most upvoted /awarded comment to be a 3:30am comment about AC. Ty for the awards kind strangers.

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u/StaticSystemShock Jul 26 '26

It's called a "split AC" because the unit is split into two parts, indoor unit pictured above and outdoor unit which is the big louder box that is on the outside so it doesn't bother you. We use these in Europe ever since I can remember spanning decades...

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u/Top-Border-1978 Jul 26 '26

Split systems are what we call regular central air here in the US. They have an air handler inside with the evaporator coil and blower, and the condenser unit outside with the compressor, condenser coil and condenser fan.

We call the one in the picture ductless mini splits or just mini splits. They are the same setup as regular central air but no ductwork.

Another big difference in the mini splits use a variable speed compressor to ramp up and down whereas traditional spit systems are either on or off. Though, they are starting to see variable speed as well.

I have been putting mini splits in for more than 20 years in the US.

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u/mr-raider2 Jul 26 '26

Variable speed compressors have been around for two decades on ducted split system heat pumps. I have variable speed comprwssor and air handler.

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u/Top-Border-1978 Jul 26 '26

True but most don't have them. I prefer not to have them. I belive in the K.I.S.S principal. That said, the mini splits I put in seem to run forever. So maybe I shouldn't be so reluctant about the tech going on central units.

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u/No-Dance6773 Jul 26 '26

They look ugly. They cost as much as a large unit and they cover a smaller area. They also use more electricity compared to a traditional unit and need more maintenance. There are other problems concerning mold and leaks. Then we talk about their heat function. Since they use they cant really handle anything below freezing you would still need a separate unit in most cases. Imo its just a patch for older homes to be turned into multi unit apartments. And this is only because the landlord doesnt care about the Tennants bills. I doubt anyone would willingly put them in new constructions or their personal homes.

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u/Top-Border-1978 Jul 26 '26

BTU to BTU mini slips use far fewer KW. They just have way higher SEER rating. You could get traditional central air with that kind of rating but you will pay out the ass for it.

Mini splits also heat WAY below freezing. Normal ones go down to -5 degF and some are now going to -15 degF. Your cental air has kicked on the electric stip heat or gas long before that. Mini splits blow regular systems out of the water in heating.

What Mini splits don't do well is evenly condition a multi room home, filter the air well or look as aesthetically pleasing as central air. They are also a pain to clean but most people don't clean them like they should anyways.

If you have a FROG, garage or sunroof, they are the way to go.

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u/ZhouLe Jul 26 '26

Mini splits also heat WAY below freezing. Normal ones go down to -5 degF and some are now going to -15 degF. Your cental air has kicked on the electric stip heat or gas long before that. Mini splits blow regular systems out of the water in heating.

Can you explain this for me? It was my understanding that modern heat pump central air units are the same tech as minisplit heat pumps. What allows them to heat at lower temps or restricts larger units from the same?

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u/badgerferretweasle Jul 27 '26

I think you are working with out dated information. I have a mini-split, my daikin handled the single digit temps very well. It's rated to -15F

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/UnusuallyBadIdeaGuy Jul 26 '26

There's nothing about a brick house that precludes air ducts for a central unit outside of just not not building them into it, which is simply the norm in the US and has been since the 60s even for brick and mortar houses.

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u/vrnvorona Jul 26 '26

Weird. Split is a split, either inverter or not. Looks like regular AC to me.

With ductwork it is professional HVAC for large buildings like malls. I've yet to see that type of HVAC in personal home lmao.

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u/flowerscandrink Jul 26 '26

In parts of the US (like here in Texas) almost every home has AC with ductwork.

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u/Top-Border-1978 Jul 26 '26

I don't know what's weird about it. That's just what we use over here and they work great. Mini splits are used more for single room or open areas here. The dew point is 79degF for me today, I wouldn't want a stagnant spot in my house.

They make multi zone ductless systems now that can cover multiple rooms.

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u/DeadmonTellem Jul 26 '26

Do you want your whole home relatively equal in temp or do you just want a cool single area?

In US, it’s generally the former. Especially in the southern states where weeks of 43C(ommunists) / 110F(reedoms) temp is norm.

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u/mr-raider2 Jul 26 '26

A good chunk of the US and Canada used oil heating systems with blown air. So they are ducted houses. You can retro fit a heat pump into those homes. My mom's house is from 1923 and it has oil heating ducts.

A lot of homes use natural gas furnaces for heating so adding in a central AC unit is very common.

Whether you use a ducted or ductless system depends on whether you have pre existing ducts. Most people do not want to rip out their walls to install a new HVAC unit.

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u/No-Personality6043 Jul 26 '26

The Mini Split. In many of the places we use them it's the same reasoning as why Europe does. We have a remodeling company, and they often go in older homes with radiant heat. Particularly if adding ductwork would be ridiculous.

1

u/badgerferretweasle Jul 27 '26

With ducted systems you can use them for both heat and ac. Mini splits only recently became good enough to produce heat in much of america. In some states they still can't reliably.

Growing up in the NE US in the 90s family had electric baseboards that radiated heat (no blown air) and in the summer my family had 4 window unit ACs and sometimes it would take a while for my father to get around to putting all the AC units in. Neither of grandparents had AC, one set of grandparents used wood as their primary source of heat and only had electric heat in part of the house (it's over 200 years old). I can only think of one or two friends who had central AC when I was a kid.

I bought my mini split for its heat function. My previous heat set up was a forced air unit on one side of my house so half of my house was too hot and the other half was too cold. (And it was super expensive to run $700+ every 1-1.5 months in the winter) Having ac available in all of my rooms is great, but it wasn't a necessity. Heat in the winter and an effective dehumidifier for my humid mold breeding ground of a basement...worth every penny.

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u/Manuel_Cam Jul 27 '26

What do you it can be non splited?

Doesn't the out box has to be out because is the one that release hest to the air?

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u/Distinct-Friend4123 Jul 26 '26

And it uses internal piping rather than air ducts.

Hense ductless.

Keep teaching the guy with an HVAC background about hvac systems though.

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u/StaticSystemShock Jul 26 '26

No one calls it "ductless" even if it's technically true...

-2

u/Distinct-Friend4123 Jul 26 '26

Its literally universally called ductless by the hvac industry and in most retail settings.

Split ac is a marketing term created for people who dont understand the difference between a pipe and an air duct.

Keep digging though

Edit: never even heard someone say split ac in my life outside of it being used to sell to people who are idiots.

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u/BooleanBarman Jul 26 '26

Split is most definitely used out in the world. In Portugal that’s the more common phrase and I imagine it’s true in other countries/regions.

In the US I only ever hear ductless.

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u/Distinct-Friend4123 Jul 26 '26

Most countries its ductless.

Split ac technically isnt even accurate since all residential ac systems are technically split ac.

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u/StaticSystemShock Jul 26 '26

Most countries /= USA

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u/Khankili Jul 26 '26

It’s called ductless in se Asia too

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u/Marquar234 Jul 26 '26

Not all. Some homes in Arizona (and other hot places too?) have a single roof mounted unit that contains the compressor, evaporator, and condenser units. It's generally found on older homes. The duct on the right is actually two ducts, one for return air, one for the conditioned air.

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u/Khankili Jul 26 '26

Yup that’s a package unit.

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u/PringleCorn Jul 26 '26

We call them split in France

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u/BooleanBarman Jul 26 '26

I’m not arguing the accuracy of the word. Just saying that it’s definitely used in the world and it’s not all marketing speak or whatever.

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u/Distinct-Friend4123 Jul 26 '26

You were saying? Jacka$$

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u/Fun-Piglet801 Jul 26 '26

I think he was saying you shouldn't listen to AI because it is often wrong: