mini split dilemma
Beth Schmidt
last year
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decoenthusiaste
last yearlast modified: last yearElmer J Fudd
last yearRelated Discussions
central vs. mini split AC for old house
Comments (3)I don't have an answer for you. But we live in Denver. Had a swamp cooler for too many years and now have minisplits. Central AC wasn't an option for us as we have no ductwork. You have nicely put together the pros and cons of each solution. There is no one right answer. The only thing to do is to prioritize what is most important to you. If a cold bedroom is #1 then that says mini-split. If no wall unit and resale are more important to you then that says central AC. Truth be told whomever buys your house after you can easily switch to another solution if they are unhappy with your choice. I can say that we cold soak our bedroom with our minisplit and then turn it off at night on most days so as not to have any noise or blowing air. We have a ceiling cassette in the bedroom and the duct that would blow right on our heads is blocked off. We do have the wall units in three rooms. The family room/kitchen, the master bath and a second bedroom that is used as an office. Our main greatroom also has a ceiling cassette. Whichever you choose you will be sooooo happy to get rid of the swamp cooler. With Denver's up and down temperatures in the spring and fall it is much easier to just turn the minisplits on and off. Also they have a heat capability so provide a back up system to our infloor radiant heat should we need it. We've only used it that way once, when our boiler was being replaced. But it is nice to have a back up if something else were to go out on our heating system....See MoreMini split (recessed ceiling units) VS ducted HVAC - new construction?
Comments (16)Thank you all for the responses. In short, based on responses here and some more research sounds like it doesn't pay to go with a mini split for a 3200 soft home (that's without the basement) + I think the look is too aggressive and trying to keep a clean minimal look.. even the ceiling cassette units that are relatively minimal stand out a lot... I think ill stick with a gas HVAC system and use coil so the air won't be as dry in the winter and also install a dehumidifier to have it nice in the summer... I did want to have a DAMPER for each room but was told that it can create issues and I need to limit each zone to maybe one or 2 damper tops per zone otherwise the unit can start icing and causing issue as they get "chocked" As for geothermal, My architect did tell me to look into it but once again don't know if it make sense for me. Don't know anyone who has it and its seems like it would be adding a big headache with starting to dig again..... @Ray Austin Thank a lot. I'm hearing this a lot where it will take so many years for me to see a return on investment and probably docent make sense... @mike_home yes I have gas and I will be using gas for the HVAC & domestic water. @Steve Greenberg I was explains that one outdoor unit will be able to handle about 4 zones but it seems per the comments here and other research I did for a house of api 3300 sqf it doesn't make sense finically to go with the mitzubishi + I'm not crazy about the look of them (cassette units) Im also concurred that the. entire house as a whole won't feel as comfortable (temp controlled) when there are so many individuals zones. BTW I was told they can work until -13° but in the nyc area we down really get to those temps.. @fsq4cw I wanted to to floor radiant but its going to be very pricy to do my entire home.. so with no choice I have to let it go.. as for Air-to-Water technology im concurred going with something that is not well known and don't have experience with... @sktn77a this is my findings as well and think I will stick with HVAC and maybe add to each zone (level) a dumper to 1 or 2 rooms per zone. was told that having a dumber in each room can cause the unit to choke and create problems like icing... @tangerinedoor you actually strengthened my fears of being concurred that the entire house or level will not be air conditioned evenly if doors not opened and/or installing another system (CERV)... leading me to stick with HVAC im curious to know how much more expensive was the mini slipt vs an HVAC assuming you got a quote in HVAC. not in dollars and cents but in percentages.....See MoreMini-Splits—Do these “cheapen” the look of a home?
Comments (38)I've been sleeping with this Mitsubishi slim cassette above my bed for about 4 months. The condenser pump pumps the water to a nearby sink drain. During the crazy heat wave it was really cranking 24/7. The cassettes come in a default mode for the fan to stay on even with the condenser is not cooling or heating the room but you can change that so that once the room is at temperature it will turn off. This machine is far quieter than my forced air HVAC, but you can set the fan at silent mode, I find it doesn't distribute the cool air as aggressively as the HIGH fan speed. In my experience all the fan speeds are a low white noise and the pump is not an issue. Keeping the cassette high or on the ceiling is the way to go because it's an oscillating fan as well to circulate the air when the windows are open. There is a infrared add-on option that makes the airflow track you in the room, aiming the heating or cooling directly at you as you move... obviously that is best for a bigger room. The cost saving has been amazing. I can't recommend it highly enough....See More$14,800 to install Bryant ductless mini split with 4 zones?
Comments (1)Yes, it's high. Installers charge an arm and a leg for minisplit installations for reasons that escape me (and most other folks). Having said that: 1) inflation has been rampant in HVAC since Covid; 2) prices are regional so the only way to know the going rate is to get multiple estimates....See Morekandrewspa
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