Unico Systems in Colorado Springs, CO
If you’ve been told your older home, historic property, or addition can’t have central air without major construction - you haven’t heard about Unico. A & Z Mechanical is the only certified Unico installer in Colorado Springs, and we install whole-home HVAC without touching your walls.
Your Older Home Deserves Central Air - Without Tearing It Apart
Thousands of Colorado Springs homeowners are living without central heating or cooling - or living with window units and space heaters — because they’ve been told that adding conventional ductwork would require too much demolition. That’s true for conventional ductwork. It’s not true for Unico.
Conventional ductwork requires soffits, wall demolition, and compromised architecture
Standard HVAC ductwork needs large sheet metal runs - typically 10 to 14 inches - routed through your home to every room. In a newer home built with ductwork in mind, this is straightforward. In a historic home, a property with plaster walls, a craftsman bungalow, or any space where the architecture is part of what makes it worth living in, adding conventional ductwork means building soffits that lower your ceilings, cutting through original plasterwork, or compromising the character that makes the home what it is.
Most HVAC contractors will tell you it can’t be done - or price it out of reach
When a homeowner with a historic or older home calls most HVAC companies, they get one of two answers: it can’t be done without major renovation, or it can be done but the structural changes required will cost more than the HVAC system itself. Neither answer accounts for small-duct high-velocity technology - because most HVAC contractors aren’t certified to install it.
Mini-splits cover one zone at a time - not your whole home
Ductless mini-split systems are a legitimate solution for single rooms or small additions - but they’re not a whole-home system. Each indoor unit covers one zone. A multi-zone mini-split setup for a full home requires multiple wall-mounted units visible in every room, each with its own outdoor compressor connection. For homeowners who want central air throughout the whole house without visible hardware in every room, a mini-split isn’t the answer.
You’ve lived with the problem so long you’ve stopped expecting a real solution
Window units in summer. Space heaters in winter. Rooms that are never the right temperature. Most Colorado Springs homeowners in older properties have adapted so thoroughly to working around inadequate comfort systems that they’ve stopped believing a clean, invisible, whole-home solution is possible. It is. It just requires the right installer.
What Central Comfort Looks Like When You Don’t Have to Compromise
A Unico small-duct high-velocity system delivers whole-home heating and cooling through two-inch flexible tubing - routed through existing wall cavities and spaces with no demolition required.
Every room reaches your target temperature - with no new soffits or structural changes
Unico’s two-inch flexible tubing routes through wall cavities, floors, and ceilings using the space that already exists - no new soffits, no lowered ceilings, no structural changes. Every room in the home gets its own supply outlet, and the system delivers conditioned air with the precision of a high-velocity system. Your home ends up fully conditioned from a single integrated system - heated and cooled in every room, year-round.
Your home’s historic character stays exactly as it is
The original plasterwork stays. The exposed brick stays. The craftsman millwork, the hardwood floors, the period details that made you fall in love with the home - none of it is touched. Unico supply outlets are small and unobtrusive. The air handler is compact enough to fit in a closet or utility space. When the installation is complete, the only visible change is that your home is comfortable.
The system runs quieter and more efficiently than conventional ductwork
Conventional ductwork loses up to 25% of conditioned air to thermal transfer before it reaches your living spaces. Unico systems lose less than 5%. The high-velocity delivery also creates a gentle aspiration effect - drawing room air toward the supply outlets and mixing it thoroughly - which eliminates the drafts and uneven temperature pockets that standard ductwork creates. And the tubing is acoustically insulated, making Unico systems noticeably quieter than conventional HVAC in operation.
You get true whole-home heating and cooling from a single integrated system
Unlike a multi-zone mini-split setup, a Unico system operates as a single central system - one thermostat, one air handler, whole-home coverage. No wall-mounted units in every room. No separate outdoor compressors for each zone. No visible hardware in your living spaces. Just consistent, quiet comfort throughout the entire home.
We’re the Only Certified Unico Installer in Colorado Springs
We’ve been in Colorado Springs homes for over 25 years, and some of the most difficult conversations we’ve had are with homeowners who were told they had to choose between their home’s character and their family’s comfort. They’d already gotten quotes for conventional ductwork that would have required opening every wall on the second floor. They’d tried window units for years. They didn’t know Unico was an option - because the contractor they called wasn’t certified to offer it.
A & Z Mechanical is the only certified Unico installer in the Colorado Springs market. No other primary local competitor holds this certification — and Unico certification requires specialized training that most HVAC companies haven’t pursued. We’re also a Mechanical Class A Licensed, Armstrong Air Authorized Dealer with over 25 years of hands-on experience in Colorado Springs, a BBB A+ rating maintained for more than 20 consecutive years, and comfort advisors who are not paid on commission. Our recommendation about whether a Unico system is right for your home will be based on your home - not on what generates the largest job ticket.
The Only Certified Unico Installer in Colorado Springs
Mechanical Class A Licensed
Family Operated Since 2001
Getting a Unico System Installed Is a Three-Step Process
You don’t need to know anything about small-duct HVAC technology before calling us. You just need to describe what you’re working with. We’ll take it from there.
Step 1: Request Your Free In-Home Evaluation
Call us or fill out our contact form to schedule a free evaluation. We come to your home, assess the layout, the existing structure, and the spaces available for the air handler and tubing runs - and tell you honestly whether a Unico system is the right solution for your situation.
Step 2: We Design the System Around Your Home
If a Unico system is the right fit, your Mechanical Class A Licensed comfort advisor designs the system specifically for your home’s layout - identifying the tubing routes that work with your existing structure, sizing the air handler for your square footage, and planning every supply outlet location before any work begins. You see the plan and the pricing before we start.
Step 3: We Install It - Without Disrupting What Makes Your Home Special
Our team routes the two-inch flexible tubing through your existing wall cavities and spaces, installs the compact air handler in an out-of-the-way location, and places supply outlets where you’ll barely notice them. Your home’s character stays intact. When we leave, every room is connected to a whole-home heating and cooling system - and nothing that made your home worth protecting has been touched.
Frequently Asked Questions About Unico Systems in Colorado Springs
What is a Unico small-duct high-velocity HVAC system?
A Unico small-duct high-velocity (SDHV) system is a central HVAC technology that delivers conditioned air through two-inch flexible tubing instead of the large sheet metal ductwork used in conventional systems. The tubing is acoustically insulated, flexible enough to route through existing wall cavities and floor joists without demolition, and delivers air at high velocity through small, unobtrusive supply outlets. The result is whole-home heating and cooling from a single central system - with no soffits, no wall openings, and no visible ductwork — in homes where conventional installation would require significant structural changes.
What types of homes is a Unico system best suited for?
Unico systems are the ideal solution for four types of Colorado Springs properties: historic homes and older properties where conventional ductwork would damage original plasterwork or period features; homes without existing ductwork where the cost of installing conventional duct runs is prohibitive; home additions and remodels where connecting to an existing duct system isn’t practical; and any home - including luxury properties in the Broadmoor area - where homeowners want central air without any visible hardware or architectural compromise. If you’ve been told your home “can’t” have central air without major work, a Unico evaluation is worth having.
How is a Unico system different from a mini-split?
A ductless mini-split covers one room or zone per indoor unit - it’s a targeted solution for a single space, not a whole-home system. A Unico system operates as a central HVAC system serving the entire home from a single air handler, with supply outlets in every room, controlled by one thermostat. Mini-splits require a wall-mounted unit visible in each zone and an outdoor compressor connection for each unit. Unico supply outlets are small and nearly flush with the wall or ceiling - and there’s no visible indoor hardware in your living spaces. For homeowners who want genuine whole-home comfort without visible equipment in every room, Unico is the more complete solution.
Is a Unico system louder than conventional HVAC?
No - it’s quieter. Unico tubing is acoustically insulated from the factory, which dampens operational sound significantly compared to conventional sheet metal ductwork, which can rattle, expand and contract audibly, and create turbulence noise at registers. The high-velocity delivery creates a gentle aspiration effect at supply outlets rather than a strong directional draft, which also contributes to the quieter, more even comfort experience. Most homeowners who switch to Unico from conventional HVAC report that they notice the system less in daily life, not more.
How energy-efficient is a Unico system compared to conventional ductwork?
Unico systems outperform conventional ductwork on two key efficiency metrics. First, thermal loss - conditioned air that escapes to surrounding unconditioned spaces before reaching your living area - runs at less than 5% for a Unico system, compared to up to 25% for conventional ductwork. Second, the high-velocity delivery removes approximately 30% more humidity from the air than a conventional system at the same temperature setting - which means your home reaches and maintains your comfort level more effectively, particularly during Colorado Springs’ humid late-summer months.
Unico Systems in Colorado Springs - The Only Certified Installer in the Local Market
A & Z Mechanical is the only certified Unico installer in Colorado Springs, and Unico small-duct high-velocity HVAC systems represent the most significant specialty service differentiation in our portfolio. Unico is a small-duct high-velocity (SDHV) system that delivers conditioned air through two-inch flexible aspiration tubing instead of conventional large sheet metal ductwork. Because the tubing is small, flexible, and acoustically insulated, it routes through existing wall cavities, floor joists, and ceiling spaces without demolition - making it the definitive solution for Colorado Springs homeowners who need whole-home HVAC in spaces where conventional ductwork is architecturally impossible or prohibitively invasive.
The primary use cases in Colorado Springs are historic homes, older properties, and home additions. The Old Colorado City neighborhood, the historic properties in Manitou Springs, and the older estates in the Broadmoor area represent a significant segment of Colorado Springs homes where conventional ductwork installation would require compromising original plaster walls, destroying period architectural details, or building soffits that fundamentally alter the character of the space. Unico systems install into these homes without any of those trade-offs. The tubing is routed through the spaces that already exist - behind plaster, through floor joists, inside closets - and supply outlets are set flush or nearly flush with the surface, nearly invisible once installed.
Beyond the architectural case, Unico systems outperform conventional ductwork on several technical metrics. Thermal loss - the conditioned air lost to the surrounding structure before it reaches a living space - runs at less than 5% for a Unico system, compared to up to 25% for conventional ductwork. The high-velocity delivery method also removes approximately 30% more humidity from the air than a conventional system running at the same temperature setting - a meaningful advantage in Colorado Springs’ dry-then-humid summer climate where excess indoor humidity in late July and August creates real comfort problems. The system’s acoustic insulation makes it run significantly quieter than conventional forced-air HVAC in normal operation.
No other HVAC contractor in the primary Colorado Springs competitive set holds Unico certification. Unico installation requires factory training and certification that is not part of standard HVAC contractor licensing - it is a specialty credential that most companies in this market have never pursued. If you own a historic home in Old Colorado City, a craftsman property in Manitou Springs, a Broadmoor estate, or any Colorado Springs home where you’ve been told conventional ductwork isn’t feasible, A & Z Mechanical is the only certified Unico installer you can call in this market. We offer free in-home evaluations to help you understand whether a Unico system is the right fit before any commitment is made.
What Colorado Springs Homeowners Say About Our Unico System Installations
You Were Told Central Air Wasn't Possible. It Is.
If you’ve been living without central air because someone told you it wasn’t possible - it’s time for a second opinion. A & Z Mechanical is the only certified Unico installer in Colorado Springs, and we offer free in-home evaluations for every property. Whole-home comfort. No demolition. No compromise. Over 25 years of Colorado Springs experience behind every installation.