Advantages of The Unico System:
Small-Duct High-Velocity HVAC
The Unico System is a small-duct high-velocity, or SDHV, heating and cooling system designed to provide central HVAC with much smaller ductwork than conventional systems. Its compact design makes it especially useful for older homes, custom homes, renovations, and buildings where space for traditional ductwork is limited. The system is designed to provide quiet operation, even temperatures, humidity control, and minimal impact on the architecture of the home.
What Are the Advantages of The Unico System?
Fits Where Traditional HVAC Cannot
The Unico System’s small-duct design makes it possible to add heating and cooling to virtually any home, including older and historic homes, without compromising its design or architectural integrity. The system uses less than one-third of the space required by a traditional HVAC system and can deliver up to 9 tons of air conditioning in the same space as a traditional 3-ton unit.
Instead of large metal registers, The Unico System uses small, discreet outlets that blend into floors, walls, or ceilings. Outlets are available in 5-inch round or ½-inch by 8-inch slotted options, providing greater flexibility while maintaining the look of your home.
Quiet Performance
The Unico System is designed for quiet operation, delivering conditioned air at sound levels comparable to a soft whisper. Its small-duct supply tubing features a nylon inner core and insulation that help absorb airflow noise as air moves throughout the home.
The air handler is also engineered to reduce noise and vibration. Each module, including the blower and coil, uses closed-cell, sound-deadening insulation to help keep operation quiet. The result is a small-duct high-velocity HVAC system that delivers comfortable heating and cooling without the disruptive noise often associated with traditional HVAC equipment.
Requires Little or No Remodeling
The Unico System can be installed in homes where conventional heating and cooling systems may be difficult to accommodate, often with little or no remodeling. Compact, modular air handlers and coils can fit into attics, ceilings, crawlspaces, and closets, providing greater flexibility when space is limited.
Flexible small ducts can be routed through existing wall, floor, and ceiling cavities, reducing the need for large metal ductwork or major structural changes. This makes The Unico System especially well suited for older and historic homes where preserving the existing architecture is a priority.
With less invasive installation requirements than traditional HVAC systems, The Unico System can help reduce construction time, mess, and disruption while maintaining the character of the home.
Even, Draft-Free Temperatures
The Unico System is designed to create even, draft-free comfort throughout the home. Unlike traditional HVAC systems that can deliver concentrated bursts of conditioned air, The Unico System uses a principle called aspiration to gently draw the surrounding room air into the conditioned airstream.
This continuous mixing helps eliminate drafts and maintain more consistent temperatures from room to room, floor to floor, and floor to ceiling. The result is a temperature differential of no more than 2°F from the thermostat setting, helping create a more comfortable and consistent indoor environment.
Enhanced Humidity Control
The Unico System is designed to remove up to 30% more humidity than conventional HVAC systems. Its cooling coils help remove more moisture from the air as the system cools your home, creating a more comfortable indoor environment.
Because lower humidity can make the air feel more comfortable at a higher temperature, homeowners may be able to set the thermostat higher while maintaining the same level of comfort. This can help reduce cooling demand and support more efficient operation during warm, humid weather.
Discreet Outlets That Match Your Home
The Unico System uses small, discreet HVAC outlets designed to blend into your home rather than compete with its interior design. Available in round or slotted styles, outlets can be installed in ceilings, floors, or sidewalls to provide flexibility for different room layouts and architectural styles.
Unico outlets are available in a variety of colors and wood finishes and can also be painted or stained to complement the surrounding space. Their compact size makes them far less noticeable than conventional HVAC registers while still delivering comfortable heating and cooling throughout the room.
Energy Efficient Performance
HVAC efficiency is about more than equipment ratings like SEER. The design and installation of your ductwork can also affect how efficiently conditioned air reaches your living spaces. Energy can be lost through the walls of the ducts, known as thermal loss, or through gaps and seams, known as duct leakage.
The Unico System’s small-duct design helps minimize these losses. Its ductwork has approximately one-third the surface area of conventional ductwork, reducing the area where thermal loss can occur. Unico supply tubing is also wrapped with insulation and an outer vapor barrier to help keep conditioned air at the intended temperature as it travels through the system.
Duct leakage can also impact HVAC efficiency. Third-party testing has documented less than 5% duct leakage with The Unico System, compared with losses of up to 25% in conventional duct systems. By reducing both thermal loss and air leakage, The Unico System helps deliver more of the conditioned air produced by the HVAC system to the spaces where it is needed.
How Is The Unico System Different From Traditional HVAC?
The Unico System is a small-duct high-velocity (SDHV) heating and cooling system designed to deliver whole-home comfort using significantly smaller ductwork than traditional HVAC systems. Instead of large sheet-metal ducts and registers, The Unico System uses compact, flexible supply tubing and small, discreet outlets that can be installed in floors, walls, or ceilings.
Its compact design allows the system to fit into spaces where conventional HVAC can be difficult to install, making it especially well suited for older homes, historic properties, renovations, and custom homes. The Unico System is also designed to provide quiet operation, even temperatures, enhanced humidity control, and efficient air delivery while minimizing disruption to the home’s architecture.
The biggest difference is flexibility: homeowners can get the comfort of a central heating and cooling system without designing the home around large, conventional ductwork.
Where Does Small-Duct High-Velocity HVAC Work Best?
Small-duct high-velocity (SDHV) HVAC is a flexible heating and cooling solution for many types of homes, but it is especially valuable where space is limited or preserving the home’s design is a priority. The Unico System’s compact equipment, flexible small ducts, and discreet outlets make it possible to add whole-home comfort without the large ductwork required by conventional HVAC systems.
The Unico System is especially well suited for older and historic homes, renovations and additions, custom homes, and new construction. Its small, flexible ducts can be routed through existing walls, floors, ceilings, attics, and other tight spaces, giving homeowners, builders, and designers greater flexibility while minimizing changes to the architecture of the home.
Frequently Asked Questions About Small-Duct High-Velocity HVAC
What is a small-duct high-velocity HVAC system?
A small-duct high-velocity (SDHV) HVAC system uses compact equipment, flexible small-diameter ducts, and discreet outlets to provide heating and cooling throughout a home. The Unico System uses SDHV technology to deliver conditioned air while requiring significantly less space than conventional HVAC ductwork.
Can The Unico System provide both heating and cooling?
Yes. The Unico System can provide both heating and cooling and can be paired with several types of HVAC equipment. This flexibility allows the system to be designed around the needs of the home, climate, and project.
Can The Unico System be installed in an older or historic home?
Yes. The Unico System is especially well suited for older and historic homes because its small, flexible ducts can be routed through existing walls, floors, ceilings, and other tight spaces. This can reduce the need for major structural changes and help preserve the home’s original architecture.
Does The Unico System require existing ductwork?
No. The Unico System does not require a home to already have conventional ductwork. Its small-duct design makes it possible to add central heating and cooling to homes where installing large traditional ducts may be difficult or disruptive.
Can The Unico System work with a heat pump?
Yes. The Unico System can be paired with compatible heat pumps to provide efficient heating and cooling. This includes Chiltrix air-to-water heat pumps, which can be paired with The Unico System for an all-electric heating and cooling solution. Other equipment configurations are also available, giving homeowners and HVAC professionals flexibility to design a system around the home, climate, and project requirements.
Is small-duct high-velocity HVAC only for older homes?
No. While SDHV systems are a popular solution for older and historic homes, The Unico System can also be used in renovations, additions, custom homes, and new construction. Its compact design can be beneficial anywhere space, comfort, or architectural flexibility is a priority.
How do I know if The Unico System is right for my home?
The best system depends on your home, comfort needs, available space, climate, and existing heating and cooling equipment. A qualified Unico Preferred Contractor can evaluate your home and determine how The Unico System could be designed and installed for your specific application.
Join the Team
Become a Unico Preferred Contractor
A program trusted by more than 2,000 contractors, Unico installers enjoy the benefits and profits of qualified leads provided by the Unico Inside Sales Team, as well as technical support unparalleled in the industry.
