If you are thinking of installing air conditioning, especially in a home that does not have ductwork, opting for a ductless system is a wise choice. This way, you don't have to knock down or move any walls to install ductwork. But this is far from the only advantage of ductless AC systems. Here's a look at some others.

You can set them up to cool zones separately.

There are two main styles of ductless air conditioning systems. Mini-split systems have one air handling unit that passes cooled air into your home. This unit is mounted on a wall. Multi-split systems have multiple air handling units -- which are placed in various rooms throughout your home. Each air handling unit essentially has its own thermostat, which means you can control them separately. If you want one room to be 78 degrees and another one to be 69, that's perfectly doable.

They're energy efficient.

With a standard, duct-based AC system, a lot of the coolness in the air is transferred to the ducts and walls before it actually makes it into your rooms. This is essentially a waste of energy, and it brings down the efficiency of the system. Ductless systems don't experience this loss of coolness, so they tend to be less costly to operate. Plus, being able to cool just one or two rooms at a time will save you more money. (You don't have to pay to air condition the whole home when you don't want to)

They don't pass allergens around.

Ducts are notorious for grabbing onto allergens like pet dander and mold spores. This can make turning on the air conditioning very irritating if you suffer from allergies. Ductless units don't tend to pass so many allergens through the air since there are no ducts for allergens to build up in.

They mount on the wall.

With central air conditioning, the vents are usually placed on the floor or along the bottom of the wall. This makes it hard to arrange furniture around them. Air handling units for a ductless AC system are usually placed high on the wall. You can still place couches, dressers, and other standard furniture beneath them without worry.

To learn more about ductless AC solutions, like mini-split and multi-split systems, speak to an HVAC contractor or a company like Lakeside Heating & A/C Inc. These systems are becoming more and more common as homeowners realize the benefits they offer.