HVAC vs. Ductless Mini Split
Tea
3 years ago
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mtvhike
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Ductless? HVAC plans take up a lot of closets in my old house
Comments (7)I went ductless in my home and pulled all the ductwork out. I gained two closets and have a lot of storage beneath the stairs. I would look at Fujitsu's and Mitsubishi's web site and use the "find a dealer" feature. I think that because it is a bit out of your contractors comfort zone they are pushing you to what they like with the price. I spoke with a contractor who did two identical homes. One high efficiency ducted propane. The other was a Fujitsu Hybrid Flex Inverter with 1 condensing unit and 8 indoor evaporators. He said the installed cost was almost identical for both systems. The mini-splits were operating at a 50% savings over the ducted system. In new construction running small line sets is a snap. There are not as many good installers of ductless, but more and more are coming to it annually. Since '08 the only category of products that grew year over year is the mini-split category. Find the best guy and hire him. Check his references. Installing the best efficiency highest technology products in the industry won't reduce the value of your home. You will have very nearly the same efficiency as a geothermal heat pump for a fraction of the cost. One of the best features of mini-splits is their very quiet operation. mine are much quieter that the ducted system they replaced. As well, you gain efficiency by zoning the space. There are a lot of ways to save energy. One of the best is to zone the space and heat only the area you are in. My Fujitsu 15 RLS which I just installed a few months ago has a feature that will automatically set back the temperature if the unit does not sense motion in that space for 20 min. when you walk back into the space it starts up and recovers quickly. Pretty neat! I am partial to Fujitsu as I represented them in a 6 state area in my business, so bias noted....See More"ductless" or "mini split" HVAC
Comments (1)HI Picky, There are lots of relatively recent posts here. Search "minisplit" and "mini split". That ought to keep you busy for a couple of hours :-) If you come back with questions, let us know if you are replacing a ducted system, adding cooling to a home with heating only (along with what kind of heat) and some details about your home's layout and construction. There are lots of helpful people here....See MoreSmartest New Construction HVAC - Modulating Heat Pump vs Ecobee
Comments (10)In dealing with multi zone set ups the enemy is always over capacity. The more speeds the system has the better it will handle a multi zone setup because if you have 1 or 2 zones calling the system is better able to match the capacity needed to the call being received. Even better if you go to a variable speed (compressor) model. These kinds of systems aren't meant to 'only' save you money on the light bill, the are meant to give you the best in comfort. They will save you money too, but that isn't the only reason to buy one. You have to think: what is comfort worth to you. If you pair a full variable speed system (compressor of the condenser is full variable speed not just the furnace blower or furnace blower and condenser fan motor) They make a slew of different model units to confuse you. So getting back to the point if you have a full variable speed system including the compressor the best way to control this kind of system is via communicating thermostat. Communicating is different in that the system actually talks with the thermostat(s). Communicating is like having a network run via your thermostat wires. This is only one option, in some cases you could hook these systems up the old fashioned way of power signals. Problem is the power signal way may cut the functionality somewhat. These systems were designed to 'communicate'. Proprietary zone boards have their place because they were designed for the system you are attempting to design. Me personally I know there are better options available else where. This comes from over 20 years of experience and heavy control knowledge. Most zone boards operate via the way of sending a 'voltage signal' the communication application is in it's infancy. These things only started trickling out over the past few years. The non-propriety zone boards that have communication capabilities come at a hefty cost and in many cases will require more than one board, not to mention the cost of multiple communicating thermostats. There are ways to cut costs and maintain a good communication balance. But that requires astute control knowledge. Something you may have to look for in many different service providers. Your service provider will play an integral role. Because this is who you will ultimately call on if the system needs servicing....See MoreMini-Split HVAC System (Pros versus Cons)
Comments (23)Living in PA, we have a 60's built ranch home with no ductwork. My husband had one of these systems put in this summer (Fijitsu wall mounted system) to cool our main living area. It works great. It is quiet and works very well cooling most of the house although we only needed it for living/dining/kitchen. I had hoped for the best when I reluctantly agreed because I HATED how it looked. I had seen these units in other peoples homes and hated them then. People (especially contractors) assured me that I would get over this. It has been since June and I still hate how it looks. When friends and family (admittedly mostly female) see this unit, their first reaction is negative on how it looks. They try to be nice about it but when I ask their honest opinion, they say it is ugly. I really regret having this installed. The few short months that we use it was not worth the eyesore it is in our house. I am trying to come up with ways to hide this beast for the 8 or 9 months of the year that we don't use it. I am writing this only to forewarn anyone who has concerns about installing these units because of the looks. My advice would be if you have white walls and high ceilings, then this would likely be less noticeable. If you have lower ceilings like I do and have a wall color other than white or light, this is going to be noticeable. Also, I would suggest do whatever you can to find a wall that is not a focal wall to install this beast. My was installed on a focal wall which only adds to the problem....See MoreTea
3 years agoTea
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