1. Welcome Hearth.com Guests and Visitors - Please enjoy our forums!
    Hearth.com GOLD Sponsors who help bring the site content to you:
    Jotul Cast Iron Stoves
    Woodstock Soapstone Stoves
    Hearth and Home (QuadraFire and Harman Stoves)

Ductless heating / cooling

Post in 'The Green Room' started by Dustin, Mar 5, 2013.

  1. Dustin Feeling the Heat

    joined: Sep 3, 2008
    268 posts
    Western Oregon
    Anyone have any experience with these? Love ? Hate?

    I currently heat 100 percent with wood, with absolutely NO backup. I have some baseboard heaters but they're barely in serviceable condition.

    My power company offers a huge rebate in the purchase of ductless heating/cooling systems...

    All thoughts welcome!
    Dustin, Mar 5, 2013
    #1

    Helpful Sponsor Ads!

  2. woodgeek Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 27, 2008
    1,410 posts
    SE PA
    Guess the Green Room is a little slow today.....I have a conventional ASHP myself, but there are several Hearth.com'ers (including some mods) with mini's, who seem to like them. In your climate, it is really a no-brainer.
    woodgeek, Mar 6, 2013
    #2

  3. Circus New Member

    joined: Jan 11, 2013
    59 posts
    EC Wisconsin
    Seems ideal in a temperate climate but I'm confused by the term ductless. I thought it was simply replacing a wall AC with an AC that also heated.
    Circus, Mar 6, 2013
    #3

  4. Floydian Feeling the Heat

    joined: Dec 12, 2008
    289 posts
    Southwestern VA
    Dustin,

    For lots of good info search ductless mini split's here: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/ -The blogs and Q&A are both great!

    The Mitsubishi hyper heat units are about the best of the best, supplying rated output down to 5::F and usable heat down to -13::F.

    Expect to pay $3k+ installed.

    Noah
    Floydian, Mar 7, 2013
    #4

  5. Bret Chase Feeling the Heat

    joined: Jan 15, 2013
    410 posts
    Maine
    mini-splits are pretty slick... they are bascially an AC that can be run backwards.... i.e. pulling heat out of the outside and depositing inside the home
    Bret Chase, Mar 8, 2013
    #5

  6. Bret Chase Feeling the Heat

    joined: Jan 15, 2013
    410 posts
    Maine
    I've seen them installed quite intelligently.... and also in bafflingly stupid manners as well...
    Bret Chase, Mar 8, 2013
    #6

  7. pen Super Moderator

    joined: Aug 2, 2007
    6,065 posts
    N.E. Penna
    Had the the MSZ-FE18NA put in this summer (mitsu with hyper heat mini split, about 18k cooling and 22k heating).

    I paid 2770 with tax. I received 400 back from the electric company as a rebate just this week.

    pen
    pen, Mar 8, 2013
    #7

  8. 711mhw Feeling the Heat

    joined: Dec 7, 2010
    341 posts
    Western ME
    All I've heard is good things about them, even up here in ME temps.
    711mhw, Mar 8, 2013
    #8

  9. Floydian Feeling the Heat

    joined: Dec 12, 2008
    289 posts
    Southwestern VA
    Wow, that seems like a great price from my research.I am building a super insulated house for my folks and was quoted $8k for (2) MSZ-FE12NA. Ridiculous!

    Wood stoves and mini splits seem like a great combo, though I love my gasser+storage and warm floors.

    How do you like your Mitsu so far?

    Noah
    Floydian, Mar 8, 2013
    #9

  10. pen Super Moderator

    joined: Aug 2, 2007
    6,065 posts
    N.E. Penna
    For a quick summation

    dislikes: Automatic fan operation

    likes: everything else.

    I ran it hard a few nights this winter that we went down to below zero, and it worked flawlessly. Thing uses less electric in a month as a supplement than one 6 foot electric baseboard used to for two weeks and does more work all the while.

    But, I'm still in the honey moon period having only installed it the first week of July. Give me about 10 years and I'll give you a real review!

    pen
    pen, Mar 8, 2013
    #10

  11. begreen Super Moderator

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    36,118 posts
    South Puget Sound, WA
    Go with a properly sized and configured setup and it should work very well. The best systems for performance are Mitsubishi, Daikin and Fujitsu.
    begreen, Mar 9, 2013
    #11

  12. pen Super Moderator

    joined: Aug 2, 2007
    6,065 posts
    N.E. Penna
    Shoot, yea, tooooo good a price .

    Misread the price last night (damn hard cider), after thinking about it this morning I reread the bill, was actually 3770 with tax.

    pen
    pen, Mar 9, 2013
    #12

  13. Bret Chase Feeling the Heat

    joined: Jan 15, 2013
    410 posts
    Maine
    properly sized and configured it the trick of it....

    Mitsu's are big money.... I see the Mitsu's and fujitsu's installed regularly now... In general I like them.... I am even contemplating them for my second floor...

    I have also seen them installed in completely inappropriate ways.... i.e. 30+ of them installed in a 22,000+ sq foot building... in that situation... a cooling tower and chiller loop would have been far cheaper... and more efficient.... and you wouldn't have condensers... everywhere...
    Bret Chase, Mar 9, 2013
    #13

  14. begreen Super Moderator

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    36,118 posts
    South Puget Sound, WA
    Wow that is pretty lame. What were they thinking?
    begreen, Mar 9, 2013
    #14

  15. Bret Chase Feeling the Heat

    joined: Jan 15, 2013
    410 posts
    Maine
    I have no idea.... I fought that battle... and got nowhere... in 2006....
    Bret Chase, Mar 9, 2013
    #15

Share This Page