City-Multi vs Ducted A/C
Okay, I know this topic has been discussed many times over the years, but technology and views change, and I am about to drop some signficant coin doing one or the other of these options for a 4,000 sq ft, 11-12 ft ceiling single floor loft, so I would love some recent views/experiences/thoguhts and recommendations….
Okay, I know this topic has been discussed many times over the years, but technology and views change, and I am about to drop some signficant coin doing one or the other of these options for a 4,000 sq ft, 11-12 ft ceiling single floor loft, so I would love some recent views/experiences/thoguhts and recommendations.
In the abstract, the city-multi idea is appealing to us if for no other reason than that we are not at home all day and most of the week the main if not only need for a/c is just in our bedroom. There are three baths + laundry room spread out across the floor so condensate drains are relatively simple.
Of course, we do not want those visable indoor wall units, so this would need to be done by tucking equipment in closet or bathroom ceilings. The rest of the apartment has exposed beams (which means some solution will be needed to hide electric and refrigerant lines, presumably easier in the ducted system since they can be run above ducts).
And, for what it is worth, the compressors need to be hung on an outside rear wall, and the apartment is 100+ feet long. We could go to the roof 6 floors up but I assume that would add greatly to the cost (I am petitioning some neighbors to join in, but so far no takers).
Any thoughts much appreciated.
The “hanging” of condensers for the BTU’s you are considering is non-trivial. We have had difficulty getting locations approved due to clearances from windows, lot lines etc. Bear in mind that a considerable size masonry opening will be necessary. We bring the line sets for two units thru a hole we cut with a 4″ core bit. So you are talking 4? air handlers? Don’t forget there are wire sets in addition to copper. And heavy power to the condensers.
We try to ground mount whenever possible, not wall hung. We try to anticipate future service calls, not what is technically possible. I am a big proponent for split units, but sight unseen I can’t see it working.
Have the proper calculations for heat load been completed?
The ability to economize by only cooling certain areas is desireable. But it must be balanced with the complexity, expense, and multiple points of failure in a large ductless installation.
I would be leaning towards a Unico high velocity solution. One big condenser can be spec’d of high SEER, grabbing a lot of the efficiency lost by one size fits all cooling.
It is easier to distribute cooling by duct than plumbing.
bruce at jerseydata.net