Thoughts on portable AC/Heat pumps?

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mgh-pa

Member
Hearth Supporter
Nov 19, 2009
123
Northcentral PA
I'm hesitant to ask this since I already have my suspicions based on the little bit of research I've done. However, we are looking to add heating/cooling to two more rooms of our home (Englander NC-30 in basement, Mitsu Ductless in main level, and want one in the lower family room and master bedroom). This is a split level (tri-level) and a ducted system is out of the question. We originally added the Mitsu units last season and LOVE them. They are very efficient, more so for cooling, but not bad on the heating end. We're looking at possibly adding two more to the home in the aforementioned rooms. The problem? I'm thinking I'll be looking at another $4k-$5k for two indoor units and another compressor. We got to thinking about the portable AC/Heat pumps like the one below:

http://www.amazon.com/NewAir-AC1200.../186-4158032-2131410?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
We could, in theory, have two of these for a fraction of the cost. When it's too good to be true, however, it probably is. We also need the ability to dehumidify the family room due to some moisture issues (half below grade), so these units are also a plus. So aside from possibly operating costs, what are the downsides to this vs. say a full on mini-split? Would love to hear your thoughts, please go easy on me :)
 
According to the manual it's only rated for heating down to 32::F and at 57db it is going to be somewhat noisy. I am guessing it has no reverse cycle to deal with coil freezing. A good mini-split is going to work down to zero or lower and will be whisper silent.

Are these NewAir units coming from China?
 
I would give one a try except for having to figure out how to run the drain for using it in heating mode.
 
Thanks. The drain line is something I had considered. I'm not eyeing this unit in particular, it just was one I used as an example after a quick search. I would prefer ductless, but again, the price is heavy, and I REALLY want to move in the next 5 years max, so time to recoup won't be realized by then. However, if these things are junk, I'm out more money that could have gone to a proven system.
 
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