How to Heat and Cool a Mobile Home Efficiently

Mobile homes have significant structural differences from standard homes because heating and air conditioning have to be approached differently to maintain efficiency. In today’s post, All Seasons Inc. looks at how to provide efficient heating and cooling to a mobile home. 

Mobile Homes Vs. Standard Houses

First, let us take a look at how mobile homes differ from standard houses:

• Crawl space. A typical mobile home is raised from the ground, opposed to being set on slab foundations, creating a crawl space that can be used for routing new ductwork.
• Insulation. Older mobile homes are not as well-insulated as newer ones. Depending on the mobile home’s build quality, insulation may be added to the roof and exterior walls.
• Capacity. Mobile homes are typically much smaller than average-sized homes. They will need an appropriately-sized HVAC system.

Types of Heating and Cooling Systems

Based on the above, we can rule out certain heating and cooling systems. Gas and fuel-fired furnaces, for instance, will require a gas line or a steady fuel supply. Hydronic systems, which utilize hot water, can also be ruled out because they will require a boiler (in addition to a furnace) and pipes to distribute heat.

This leaves the mobile homeowner with the following heating and cooling options.

• Split systems. Split systems are air conditioners that are split into an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The latter has an air handler that feeds warm and cool air into air ducts. This system is ideal for large mobile homes that are permanently fixed in place, as the outdoor unit needs to be installed on a slab. Most split systems have reversible cooling cycles that turn them into heat pumps.
• Packaged units. Window-mounted air conditioners are a common example of packaged systems. They only require one opening and are ideal for small to medium mobile homes.
• Mini-split systems. A ductless or mini-split system can provide heating and cooling to medium-sized mobile homes. Unlike standard split systems, ductless ACs have their air handler built into the indoor unit and do not require air ducts. The outdoor unit can be installed along one of the walls, and the pipes connecting the indoor and outdoor units only require a small hole.

To ensure efficiency, the mobile homeowner must choose a system that is properly sized to their home’s floor area. Insulating the exterior walls, flooring, and roof — as well as installing insulated windows — can dramatically reduce thermal transfer between the interior and exterior spaces, resulting in efficient operation.

All Seasons Inc. provides air conditioning services to customers in Puyallup, Tacoma, WA, and the surrounding communities. Call us at (253) 879-9144, or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.