ISO feedback re: ductless air-conditioning

[taxlady]

I have a three bedroom, 2 story townhouse (and a 2/3 finished basement) with electric baseboard heating. I am tired of window air conditioners. With three upstairs, we can usually get the whole house cool. But, they block the windows. One of them needs repair and one started making a chugga chugga type noise. It isn't making that noise right now.

I'm thinking of getting ductless air conditioning. Does anyone have experience with ductless air conditioning? What should I be looking for? What are the gotchas?

 

[pacanis]

I never even heard of this before. And I was in the HVAC business ten years ago.
It looks like a pretty nice system. Sort of like what we used to call "incremental units", like what you would have in a hotel room, but not requiring the same size hole in your wall as the unit. Looks to be just as pricey, too.
During my quick Google search I also came across a term, "high velocity mini ducting". That is also a way to air-condition when your home doesn't have a furnace and ducting system already in place. Just the sound of it all has me leaning towards the mini ducting if you want a more even, whole house system. The ductless system is pretty much room by room like window units.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

No, but I want one...

 

[justplainbill]

They had Fujitsu units in my mothers nursing home ( 1 per 20 x 20 room). I cannot take heat and they seemed adequate to me.

 

[bakechef]

Is that what they also call a "mini-split system"? One where the compressor sits outside and there is a small unit that mounts on your wall with the fan and controls? They only have to make a couple holes in the wall for the pipes and electrical.

These are really common pretty much everywhere except North America. My neighbors had one installed recently. Their townhouse has a very warm upstairs, and this supplements their central air. They installed a Mitsubishi, knowing them, they did their research.

Luckily this new system that I had installed cools the entire house better than the old one, we up sized slightly to compensate for the finished basement (it wasn't part of the original floor plan).

 

[taxlady]

Is that what they also call a "mini-split system"? One where the compressor sits outside and there is a small unit that mounts on your wall with the fan and controls? They only have to make a couple holes in the wall for the pipes and electrical.

These are really common pretty much everywhere except North America. My neighbors had one installed recently. Their townhouse has a very warm upstairs, and this supplements their central air. They installed a Mitsubishi, knowing them, they did their research.

Luckily this new system that I had installed cools the entire house better than the old one, we up sized slightly to compensate for the finished basement (it wasn't part of the original floor plan).

That sounds like what I'm talking about. I think the split is when there are several units inside.

 

[taxlady]

I never even heard of this before. And I was in the HVAC business ten years ago.
It looks like a pretty nice system. Sort of like what we used to call "incremental units", like what you would have in a hotel room, but not requiring the same size hole in your wall as the unit. Looks to be just as pricey, too.
During my quick Google search I also came across a term, "high velocity mini ducting". That is also a way to air-condition when your home doesn't have a furnace and ducting system already in place. Just the sound of it all has me leaning towards the mini ducting if you want a more even, whole house system. The ductless system is pretty much room by room like window units.

"high velocity mini ducting" Never heard of that. I'll have to Google.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Pac, would one unit take care of a two bedroom apartment? Or would I need a multi?

 

[taxlady]

Pac, would one unit take care of a two bedroom apartment? Or would I need a multi?

Where would you put the compressor? One compressor can run multiple inside units. I have a friend who got an early version and he had one unit at the top of his stairs. It cooled an entire four bedroom house.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Where would you put the compressor? One compressor can run multiple inside units. I have a friend who got an early version and he had one unit at the top of his stairs. It cooled an entire four bedroom house.

Outside the bedroom under the stairs for the top apartment. The unit could go in the living room (preferred) or the bedroom. Or just get two units...but if one would do...

 

[CWS4322]

Outside the bedroom under the stairs for the top apartment. The unit could go in the living room (preferred) or the bedroom. Or just get two units...but if one would do...

After one reaches a certain age, an A/C unit in the bedroom is mandatory--if for no other reason, to prevent one spouse from killing the other. And I don't think I need to connect the dots to explain which spouse would be the one killing the other...after a certain age. The main reason I wanted to move back to the house in the city, was I was jealous of the tenants having central A/C during the heat waves in July and August and I did not (hiding out in the bedroom was not an option--but I did do that...sometimes). Not fair that I had put central A/C in the house in the city and was sweating it out at the farm.

 

[pacanis]

I would think one of these units could do several rooms, just like Taxlady said her friend does with his, but you would have the same negatives as a window unit, the immediate area cold and the other rooms only tolerable. And that's if you leave the doors open to them. The big advantage to these is getting the view out your window back and the lower noise level. And not having to fuss with them twice a year.

 

[CWS4322]

They downside re: the portable room a/c units is that you have to empty them about every 24 hours. I don't know if that is what you mean by ductless or not, but thought I'd throw that into the mix since I have one of those at the farm for the main level. It certainly worked, it was just I had to empty the reservoir. Luckily, it has a shutoff and turns off if the reservoir is full so it doesn't go all over your floor. The units have come down in price and are very quiet, but you have to vent them out a window or patio door, much like a dryer. My brother has had one for years for his 1-bedroom apartment and likes it.

 

[taxlady]

They downside re: the portable room a/c units is that you have to empty them about every 24 hours. I don't know if that is what you mean by ductless or not, but thought I'd throw that into the mix since I have one of those at the farm for the main level. It certainly worked, it was just I had to empty the reservoir. Luckily, it has a shutoff and turns off if the reservoir is full so it doesn't go all over your floor. The units have come down in price and are very quiet, but you have to vent them out a window or patio door, much like a dryer. My brother has had one for years for his 1-bedroom apartment and likes it.

That wasn't the kind I was thinking of. I'm thinking of something with a compressor outside, tubing to go into the house and one or more cooling units inside. I did consider one or more of those portable, but they still block the window and take up space inside the house. If I were a tenant, I would probably get that kind.

The split/heat pump kind can also heat. It might not be able to do all the heating, but it is apparently 3-4 times as efficient as baseboard heaters, so it would help lower the heating bill.

 

[CWS4322]

That wasn't the kind I was thinking of. I'm thinking of something with a compressor outside, tubing to go into the house and one or more cooling units inside. I did consider one or more of those portable, but they still block the window and take up space inside the house. If I were a tenant, I would probably get that kind.

The split/heat pump kind can also heat. It might not be able to do all the heating, but it is apparently 3-4 times as efficient as baseboard heaters, so it would help lower the heating bill.

If you get one, let me know. I might consider adding that one for selective A/C and heating....

 

[taxlady]

If you get one, let me know. I might consider adding that one for selective A/C and heating....

Will do. I'm still at the "I'm thinking about it" stage.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I would think one of these units could do several rooms, just like Taxlady said her friend does with his, but you would have the same negatives as a window unit, the immediate area cold and the other rooms only tolerable. And that's if you leave the doors open to them. The big advantage to these is getting the view out your window back and the lower noise level. And not having to fuss with them twice a year.

Thanks Pac! If it's in the living room, that's the room we spend most of our time in during the day, and cool the bedroom, it would be perfect. Our back windows face on asphalt all afternoon, so the kitchen and office are unbearable, at this point. I think one unit would be helpful.

 

[CWS4322]

Thanks Pac! If it's in the living room, that's the room we spend most of our time in during the day, and cool the bedroom, it would be perfect. Our back windows face on asphalt all afternoon, so the kitchen and office are unbearable, at this point. I think one unit would be helpful.

I put C/A (central air) in for three reasons: (1) I could not work after 2 in the afternoon. My office was so unbearable, even with a ceiling fan and floor fan, and (2) I was so tired all the time from the heat, and (3) a big furry dog I had needed knee surgery. He could not go down the stairs to the basement after the surgery. To keep him comfy, I bit the bullet and put in A/C. I have missed the A/C, but now with TOU rates, I can't justify turning it on until 7:00 p.m., except on weekends.