Ductless HVAC systems have a hard time heating and cooling your entire home. They are great for individual rooms, but since there is no transportation system, i.e. ductwork, the conditioned air has a hard time moving to other parts of your home.

Ductless HVAC systems have a relatively high maintenance requirement. They are equipped with filters that are much smaller than your average furnace filter. This means they collect pollen, dust, allergens, and contaminants much faster, so you'll have to remember to clean them as the bare minimum on a monthly basis. If you have pets, you will have to clean them more frequently due to the pet hair that will collect in your system. If you don't clean your heating and cooling filter on a regular basis, you could damage your system, which would warrant a call to your professional HVAC technician.

The beauty of ductwork is that most of it is hidden behind a wall or above you in the ceiling. All you notice are registers and vents. However, with a ductless HVAC system, it sits in your living room, kitchen, bedroom, or wherever out in the open. You can't really hide it. Plus, they come in either white or beige, so plan your home accordingly.

Ductless heating and air systems are not equipped to handle the humidity like larger, more traditional HVAC systems.

If you live in a colder climate, furnaces are usually recommended. This is because the heat pump in a mini-split system has a hard time extracting what little warm air is in the cool air. Atlantis Comfort Systems usually recommends furnaces here in Rhode Island unless you have a small space for this reason.