Thinking of installing a Mini-Split HVAC system...

[steveroberts]

Hi Folks,

After getting a nearly $10k estimate for adding another HVAC zone to our home, I'm thinking of going with a mini-split instead.

We're looking to heat/cool a walk out basement space that is about 1000 sqft.

If you've installed one and have experiences to share, I'd sure appreciate it.

Also, I"m interested in the unit and installation costs.

Thanks,

SR

[3d]

I just had a dual zone Mitsubishi minisplit installed a few months ago. One big condenser unit on the outside. 2 blower units inside (living room + master BR). We LOVE LOVE LOVE the quietness.

Mitsubishi and Fujitsu brands will cost a premium over what your local guy will want to install for you. Is it an open 1000sqft area? No room divisions?

[steveroberts]

Thanks, 3d.
There is a room division, but the door to that room is normally open and that is already the most temperate area of the basement.

Is the name-brand premium worth the extra $$?

SR

[davemchine]

I just had one installed about a month ago. It is cooling about 800sq ft over my garage. It is a 1.5 ton Carrier brand heat pump rated 21 sear (no idea what that means). The outside unit is very quiet and small. The interior units are exactly what you have probably seen already. The most challenging part of the project was running the refrigerant lines. One unit we ran the lines from the garage through an interior wall which required cutting into sheetrock and then doing a repair. The other line goes up the side of the house and then inside. The company did a good job of enclosing it in sheetmetal the same color as the house but it's still not super pretty. I paid $6k for everything.

I've quickly learned that leaving the remote controls in the room results in the kids turning the temp to 66 any time they are feeling warm. I plan to collect the remotes soon. The temperature is displayed in bright letters which bothered my older daughter when she was sleeping so we covered it with a note card. Would have been nice if there was an option to turn that off.

In the end I'm glad I did it and the kids are REALLY glad.

[3d]

steveroberts wrote:
Thanks, 3d.
There is a room division, but the door to that room is normally open and that is already the most temperate area of the basement.

Is the name-brand premium worth the extra $$?

SR

For me the name brand was worth the premium. It gives me a warm cozy feeling inside knowing that we got the top of the line brand. The name brand high end units have more bells and whistles on the indoor blower units and remotes.

Most installers are competent enough to do the install fine. Electrical line, coolant line, drip line, etc. It's the finishings that you should look into and ask most questions about. In my experience, I've found that minisplits in homes are still kinda new. Companies have much more experience in installing these units in commercial offices and stores. They are not very experienced with home/residential "finishes". Making it look nice and refined and neat and well,, "finished" for a home environment.

Oftentimes the best location for efficiency is not the best location for home aesthetics. The installer prioritizes efficiency. They don't want you calling them back a month from now complaining about it not being cool/warm enough.

If i had to do it all over again, I would've been extremely on top of how it will look in the end. The aesthetics. And watch them like a hawk during the install.

[bobinmurphy]

You might want to check out these guys on the web:

http://www.alpinehomeair.com/viewcategory_home.cfm

I have no experience with them, but I'm considering them for my detached garage project.

[Zoidberg]

I've got a minisplit Daikin that I had installed in a trouble part of the house; very happy with it.

FWIW, if it's going in a sleep area; it's quiet (to me, but I'm pretty hearing damaged) and there's no visual display on the unit itself, only the remote.

This is a blessing and a curse; when I had a minor issue with it the year after installation, it emits a series of beeps to tell you what's wrong (its own morse code, I guess) -- well, being hearing impaired, I couldn't tell what it was doing, and neither could my installer guy, as he has similar hearing damage. We both gave the company an earful over that, no pun intended.

I have another spot in the house I'd love to install one (son's bedroom, which is the bonus/over garage room) but there's no where to put it in the room, wall-wise (they're big). We wound up buying a freestanding one (the kind that looks sort of like a mini-fridge with a hose to vent to the outside via window) but I'm really hoping the Noria (link) comes out by next season and works as advertised.

[Ombligo]

They have been the standard in other parts of the world for years. I have some family using a Mitsubishi system in Central America, and it works great.

[Frank]

I just returned from a trip to Europe. The B&Bs we stayed in in Spain, Italy, Amsterdam and Brugge all had these units, most of them Daikin. They work well and are super quiet.

[Fritz]

any of you care to check the dbm noise level of your units in the room?