Does mini split work at primary heat?

Wondering if anyone has experience… this so called certified contractor tried to sell me on putting a couple of mini splits on each floor and claimed that it can be used as primary heat, I’m not so sure. I have oil and my main goal was to dismantle and come up with another source of heat for a 3 family but can’t seem to find a happy medium.. let me know if anyone can recommend a good economical heating system.

slamons

in About Brooklyn 10 years and 11 months ago

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Augustiner | 10 years and 11 months ago

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It works just fine but Only if your house is nicely insulated and if the polar vortex won’t return each year. Otherwise your electrical bill will be quite high. The blowing air is also not the most comfortable solution. I would choose hydronic radiators or floor heating. (If I could do it over again)

brucef | 10 years and 11 months ago

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Both of the above are correct, but just in case that isn’t convincing enough, I can offer an additional reason. Heat pump heated air even during 40-55 degree day while heat pumps are still effective, is technically warm while not feeling particularly warm. Shooting the output air with a gun proves that its temperature has been raised 20 degrees, and eventually a room would warm up as the air passes through multiple times, but it doesn’t compare with the much, much hotter heat coming off a radiator.

BobMarvin | 10 years and 11 months ago

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I have no experience with these units, but don’t they have electric resistance heaters built-in, for when temperatures are too cold for heat pumps to work? If so they’ll heat adequately at any temperature, but costs will be VERY high when it gets really cold.

Master Plvmber | 10 years and 11 months ago

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I had them in my last apartment. The minis did a/c and heat and we used them until it got to 40° outside. That’s about where they stopped working well. At 20° they were useless and my electric bills soared. We had the building’s heating system (hot water radiators) in our apartment too and we had the luxury of turning that on when it got cold outside. All the larger, high-end renovations I’m involved in lately have mini-splits but none doesn’t also have a comprehensive supplemental heating system in place.