Cold weather challenges when heating with mini splits

No boiler, no natural gas and no oil. Just good old fashioned electric energy. If you are doing a gut then, if budget alllows, consider a solar panel system on the roof. I am disappointed I didn’t do that. I would have ended up with essentially no electric bill either.

monaco

in General Discussion 7 years and 5 months ago

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smadargolan | 7 years and 5 months ago

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Another strong recommendation: Sam Chiu, Home Air, (347) 880-4256, sc@homeairinc.com. Last fall he put in two outdoor units, two wall mounted handlers on one floor, and another in-ceiling unit ducted to three bedrooms on another floor – Mitsubishi. We’ve been using it for heat (we’re fighting with our steam system, but that’s another story) – don’t have the hyper heat, but it seems to be managing pretty well. He’s professional, clean, communicates well, and his quote was reasonable.

allans | 7 years and 5 months ago

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Add Godfreys Air Conditioning to the list – 718 345 0729, godfreysair@aol.com – they are extremely busy though these days as they have begun to work directly with developers.

Master Plvmber | 7 years and 5 months ago

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I’m currently renting an apartment with heat pumps. They’ve been struggling for weeks. I listen to them day and night cycling and trying to raise the air temperature but right now they’re blowing 80° air which is barely enough to keep up with the heat loss of my living room and the moving air makes it feel even colder in here.
I am regularly contracted to install heating systems in home renovations and not one of them that uses VRF or mini-split systems DOESN’T include a hydronic boiler as a primary or secondary system to supplement the air system.
I don’t know what you mean when you say they are “efficient” when you, and the original poster, having the same experience I am in temperature swings and receiving bills for heating that are very near the bills I get for air conditioning in the summer.

Augustiner | 7 years and 5 months ago

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@beneec: your unit is probably busy in the defrost cycle a lot. Or, if this is a ducted unit there are 2 modes: fan off when set temp is reached or ‘always on’ at lower speed which can lead to colder air being blown. This can be set by setting the jumpers (7+8 I believe). It’s disturbing to have cold air blowing around in winter.

I have a Mitsubishi Heatpump on the roof, and 5 air handlers for exclusive heat/cool of 4000 sqf. I works nicely for these reasons:
– it’s Mitsubishi’s H2i series which performs better in colder temperatures
– the air handlers are appropriately sized.
– my house is VERY well insulated, all major air leaks have been taken care of.

Here are the drawback:
– if you push it in these low temperatures it’ll cost serious money.
– tenants do not like it, because they are used to steam heat madness.
– ducted HVAC heating sucks in small rooms. It’s just not the best solution and it never will be

My average around is about $350 / month for heat and cool on 4.000 sqf with extensive insulation. This January is still probably $700 mainly because I a llow my tenants to go to 74 degrees, while I keep room temperature at 71 🙂 Yes heat AND cooling is included in the rent, that’s how nice I am

To anyone reading this and considering a Heatpump, get the H2i-R2 and use the waste heat from air conditioning to heat up your warm water in summer.

Master Plvmber | 7 years and 5 months ago

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“- tenants do not like it, because they are used to steam heat madness.”

Is that the reason? Or do they not like it because it really just doesn’t heat very well, it can be heard cycling incessantly in this weather, and it generally sucks?

(Don’t hate. Just take it from where it’s coming from: I’m a steam and hydronic heating systems specialist by trade and my preference will always be what it is.)

jserpico | 7 years and 5 months ago

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I am going to undertake a gut renovation project and will definitely install the split system for cooling. I didn’t know that it could also be used for heating. Stupid question: if i use split system for both heating/cooling, do I need a boiler?