| Author | Content |
anastatia
Vancouver, WA
(Zone 8a)
July 24, 2006
4:03 PM Post #2542758
| Anyone familiar w/ Mitsubishi's ductless AC's? Are they for one room? I saw a pix and looks like a regular wall heating unit. $1250 ball park price. |
claypa
West Pottsgrove, PA
(Zone 6b)
July 28, 2006
10:53 AM Post #2558756
| They have different sizes, some are certainly big enough for more than one room. I don't know the mitsubishi one in particular, all the big japanese manufacturers make them. The ones I've seen have a compressor outdoors, and a pipe(s) with coolant going to several blower units. They work great. They're a lot easier to install than ducts in an existing house, and you don't waste energy cooling the inside of the walls. I know people who love theirs. |
claypa
West Pottsgrove, PA
(Zone 6b)
July 28, 2006
10:59 AM Post #2558775
| One more thing, do a search for 'split system' AC |
anastatia
Vancouver, WA
(Zone 8a)
July 28, 2006
3:08 PM Post #2559740
| claypa, thanks for the info., but I still don't get them. I tried to read a page on 'split system' and it is googley gook to me. What's a split system? Actually, what are these things? We have duct work in our 60 yr old home. Originally oil, then heat pump and now gas. Altho I think now I should have stayed w/ heat pump.NO central AC anymore so this could be installed into this type of house? |
claypa
West Pottsgrove, PA
(Zone 6b)
August 6, 2006
1:56 PM Post #2592878
| The split systems have all the 'guts' in a box outside the building, and insulated cooling lines to the inside of a building, where they run through a relatively small box with fans in it. It's the same as most restaurant walk-in type refrigerators. Their main advantage is ease of installation, and you don't need ducts. They just run flexible copper pipe with coolant to areas you want to cool. It's great for old brick houses.
I don't know how cold it gets in Vancouver, but below 40 degrees, a heat pump turns into a giant electric resistance type heater, like an electric oven or toaster, and uses a LOT of electricity. There are excellent, modern heat pump systems that use the relatively constant ground temperature to draw heat instead of the air.
You can use a ductless / split system and ignore your ducts entirely for cooling. It might be cheaper, I don't know. Just look at the tables for the size space you want to cool, and do the math. |
weegy12
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
(Zone 10b)
August 15, 2006
11:57 AM Post #2624631
| Here's the link to the Mitsubishi cooling system...
mrslim.com
Would love to talk to someone who has one because we are seriously considering getting one. I understand there's a remote control for each room and you can cool only the rooms you are in. Makes sense, why cool a room that you're never in? Would love some feedback. |
claypa
West Pottsgrove, PA
(Zone 6b)
August 15, 2006
12:09 PM Post #2624689
| I don't remember which brand it is, but my brother installed a split system in his house. His can cool a room he's not in... but it works quickly, so you don't necessarily leave it on, say, in a bedroom you won't be in until late in the day. He loves it. It does make a nice breeze. The house just had a giant window unit before. |
weegy12
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
(Zone 10b)
August 15, 2006
12:19 PM Post #2624741
| Our electric bill was astronomical this month and last month...really need to do something with this old A/C. |
anastatia
Vancouver, WA
(Zone 8a)
August 15, 2006
4:32 PM Post #2625569
| Let's say we have a 1500 sq. ft house. A typical add on AC to existing furnace will cost $___________________. This system will cost $_________. |
weegy12
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
(Zone 10b)
August 15, 2006
4:48 PM Post #2625607
| We got an estimate from a Trane dealer, 10,000.00 for the new compressor and A/C/furnace...this house isn't quite 1500 sq ft. We swiftly kicked the guy out of our house! |
JerryInKC
Rockaway Beach, MO
August 30, 2006
11:31 AM Post #2675174
| The type of system you are talking about is called a "mini-split". This type of system is available for cooling only, or as a heat pump system that heats and cools.
As mentioned earlier, split systems are called such because only the parts of the system that must be inside the house are inside, while the rest of the system is outside. The inside and outside units are connected by freon pipes and by control wiring. The main advantage of a split system is that the noisiest parts and heat-generating parts of the system are located outside. This reduces machine heat and noise inside the cooled space, saving energy and irritation.
Mini-splits are becoming quite popular because of their low cost and easy installation. They also allow you to save money by not cooling parts of the home that aren't occupied. Most mini-split systems cost less than $500, with about $200 covering installation labor and parts. |
anastatia
Vancouver, WA
(Zone 8a)
August 30, 2006
1:59 PM Post #2675659
| That is great news $$. We have a 3 yr old gas furnace and I was thinking of maybe a heat pump because of the increase of gas price. But $5000 was the figure I was given for our house, not much over 2000 counting basement. |
escambiaguy
Atmore, AL
(Zone 8b)
September 5, 2006
12:29 PM Post #2693982
| We have the Mitsubishi unit you were describing in one of the office rooms where I work. In my opinion it doesn't work that well. We are a hot group of people during meetings (maybe it's the stress). It really only cools one room. It's basically a window unit that is split in half so that it doesn't have to be in a window.
If you get an estimate on a central heat pump system, try a less "popular" brand. Where I live, Trane is one of the most expensive brand names. There are cheaper units that work just as well. Heil, Rheem, Payne, Carrier, Ruud, and Bryant are all good ones. |
weegy12
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
(Zone 10b)
September 5, 2006
2:47 PM Post #2694445
| Thank you, we'll take all of this into consideration before we replace our unit. |
forevereden
Louisville, KY
September 5, 2006
9:11 PM Post #2695582
| The Mitsubishi Mr. Slim a/c or heatpump system I believe is available up to 2 1/2 ton. The inside air handler hangs on the wall like a picture, with rotating air vents and remote control. Their has to be a hole out the back about 2 inches, where the drain, freon lines, high and low voltage go. It is a mini, ductless heating and a/c system, I think you at least need 20 amps, 220 volts. You can hook multiple indoor units on a larger outdoor, but you have to be able to get each set of lines to the outdoor unit. More info on mrslim.com It needs to installed by a professional. the 1500 price is about what the wholesale price of the system costs, by the time you add in copper, etc. But it does have its place and is reliable and effecient if installed properly. |
olin
Saint Joseph, MO
November 30, 2006
2:39 PM Post #2956467
| Some of the information above is incorrect. Heat pumps are not resistant heat. They will never cost more than your airconditioner would. And, they are often cheaper if your local electric company gives a winter break. I've lived in Japan for years and have the units in Missouri. The Mitsubishi units are great, but more expensive than other units. I've always stuck with the Mitsubishi as they are the industry leader. Aircon great, Mits heat pumps work well to 17-20 degrees, Under 15 degrees, they dont work so well. |
claypa
West Pottsgrove, PA
(Zone 6b)
November 30, 2006
3:06 PM Post #2956569
| Okay, technically the heat pump itself does not make resistance heat, but most of them don't make enough heat for colder climates, so they use a backup resistance heater, which is extremely expensive to operate. This is why you don't see too many in cold areas.
I spent $700 heating a 2500 sq. ft. house for a month fifteen years ago. It had two heat pumps. Below 38 degrees or so, the resistance heater would come on. That was a particularly cold month, but it's not what I would call cheap. That was in zone 7
|
CoreHHI
Bluffton, SC
(Zone 9a)
January 1, 2007
11:45 PM Post #3044445
| Two things. As far as a whole house with duct work I paid $6000 for a 5 ton sear 11 heat pump. It was a new house so installion was easy but that's what I paid to give you a base line, everything included.
Heat pumps stop working around 40 degrees F. and what happens is they turn off, electric coils turn on. Heat pumps are cheap to run untill the backup heat coils kick on then it can get expensive.
For a base line again I have a 7 year old house about 2600 sq ft. Dead of summer 100 degrees outside I max out at around $240 a month. Winter time with under 40 temps I get up to about $290 max. |
Dixie_Chili
West Chester, OH
April 8, 2007
10:19 AM Post #3368822
| I bought a Mitsubishi MXZ-3A30NA (ourside unit) with the 9 + 24 indoor units option. I have a small house of 1100 sq feet. The 9 is in one bedroom and the 24 is in the main living area.
I just had this unit put in and I'm in Ohio, so it's in the 25 to 40 degree range this week thus I haven't had a chance to see if it works, other than the heat pump (*which cuts out at about 35 degrees F*). And I have no idea about energy use, but if one believes the 'hype' about 'Inverter Techology', it should work out OK.
Cautions:
Make sure the installer agrees to put elbows in the linesets where the linesets come out of the 3" hole you have to drill in the wall where each unit is. Other wise the lines stick way out with a wide bend.
Think about how the linesets are run and how ugly they are. There are some solutions such as the 'Line-Hide' plastic covers. The bottom line here is, depending on how you do the setup (I have a dual unit and one run is about 50' from the condenser), you might have a very ugly set of lines running along the wall of the house.
No matter what they say, these are loud on medium and high fan. Low fan speed is relatively quiet, but as it is will all 'squirrel cage' fans, there is noticeable noise. High speed is pretty obnxious, actually.
I just sorta found this place doing some 'post installation' research. I'm looking for ideas on hiding the linesets that run along my eves. If you're interested in my situation, information is in [HYPERLINK@Elsmar.com] including my house layout and stuff.
In retrospect, I probably should have just spent the money and redid the central air that is here. problem was the system is from 1967 so the ductwork is small for a 2 ton evaporator by today's specs, not to mention the ductwork insulation is only an R3 so I would have had to replace all the duct work if I didn't want to cool / heat the attic. That was a big reason I went with a ductless - Efficiency.
Cost: To replace all the ductwork and put in a 2 ton 15 SEER heat pump with 'energy pack' (for when it goes below 40 degrees F outside where heat pumps start failing) --> US$10K
Mitusbishi unit I have --> US$6200 installed.
NOTE: It was really HARD to find someone to install this heat pump. Out of about 10 local contractors, only 2 would even quote it.
If anyone has any questions about these I'd be happy to chat. I can be emailed through my Elsmar.com web site (totally unrelated to the topic focus here), shoot me an email and I'll email you my phone. Or, chat here. I'm not sure if this board has an email notification of reply feature, but I'l bookmark the page and visit now and again.
Interesting board here, by the way. I'm not much into gardening these days, but back in the 1970's I was into gardening. I managed the greenhouse at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri as my work-study job my sophmore through my senior year. |
judycooksey
Pocahontas, TN
(Zone 7b)
May 10, 2007
1:30 PM Post #3483889
| Interesting thread, any more comments?
Judy |
enya_34
Madison, WI
May 11, 2007
11:18 AM Post #3486354
| Dixie_Chili,
Any chance of you posting a picture of how the set up looks from outside. We had to
seal the old forced air system for health reasons and are looking at alternatives. |
RionMotley
Hampton, VA
June 19, 2007
4:41 PM Post #3634456
| This sounds like what I plan to do with my current oil system.
We've got a sunny day oil heat unit. I've got to do some wall repairs after hurricane isabelle turned our horsehair plaster into eggshells, so I'm going to reinsulate the pipes, and instead of using a chill unit (heat pump) I'm going to be doing a geothermal heat sink. I've still got some research to do in terms of the groundwater temperature in my wells, but that's kind of beside the point.
The idea is to chill water, run it through pipes to heat exchangers, and then use individual fans on the heat exchangers in each room.
The mitsubishi's just use freon, so the pipe is even smaller, otherwise it's just a regular air conditioner. I'm willing to bet it just uses one outside unit and you can daisy chain multiple indoor exchangers up to the max. capacity of the outside mounted condenser/compressor?
pretty simple in principle, and alot easier in some instances to run a pipe + insulation at about an inch or so in diameter ,than it is to run new ductwork between joists and such.
especially with plaster walls already in place! |
enya_34
Madison, WI
June 21, 2007
11:11 AM Post #3641037
| That sounds very interesting. Do you have any schematics for people like me who can't imagine the system beyong understanding the principle without a visual aide? |
claypa
West Pottsgrove, PA
(Zone 6b)
June 24, 2007
2:01 AM Post #3651522
| Here's one:
[HYPERLINK@www.enviromaster.com] |
enya_34
Madison, WI
June 26, 2007
2:56 PM Post #3661285
| Thanks. So the key is to keep the lines that go to the individual units shot.
We installed Mitsubishi AC with a heat pump in one of the bedrooms upstairs when the central
AC system was sealed. It's a nice unit that works fine.
I still would prefer central AC for the whole house that would not stick out the walls. |
boomboom
New York, NY
August 3, 2007
1:01 PM Post #3813675
| Greetings...own 3 Mitsubishi ductless units. Looking for a cheaper alternative to the "Line-Hide" coverings for the outside of the house..."LIne-Hide" is way overpriced! Would like something other than gutter downspouts also...something that looks better. Does anyone have any ideas...Thanks! |
DaveNH
Hudson, NH
(Zone 5a)
August 29, 2007
9:35 PM Post #3916028
| boomboom,
I wonder if you could buy some 3~4 inch diameter PVC drain pipe and rip it in half with a table saw. Scuff it up with sandpaper or wipe it down with some acetone, then paint it to match the house. Screw it down over the lines. You could also cut elbows and tees in half to make corner connections. |
Missinger
Clinton, MI
June 5, 2008
1:54 PM Post #5058258
| I have duct work from OIL heating that we changed to Gas Heat...I am told that I cannot have central air put in unless we spend a fortune to do that. So, I am wondering if anyone knows if that is true or not.
If it is, I am looking at an alternative which is ductless AC or Wall AC. Between the two which would YOU chose?
The house is 1500 Sq Feet. We live in Michigan...The living room, dnnette, kitchen and sun room are all connected ...so thee rooms need to be cooled off. Bedrooms have seperate AC units...( which would be lovely to get rid of if I had Central...Hope you guys can help!! |
flowerjen
central, NJ
(Zone 6b)
June 5, 2008
11:04 PM Post #5060845
| Missinger, if you already switched to gas it doesn't sound right that you can't get central air. |
anastatia
Vancouver, WA
(Zone 8a)
June 8, 2008
10:53 AM Post #5071675
| Well, as fate would have it the Mitsubishi ductless system was installed in the over-the-garage office where I work. $3800 total. It is virtually silent, except for when it starts up and then you can detect a slight sound. |
