Ductless Mini Split System Advantages
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- Опубликовано: 9 сен 2013
- We recently added a mini split system to air condition our house and it's performing very well. Watch the video and learn what these systems are and why it might be the right solution for your home. One thing I forgot to mention in the video is that the control has a "DRY" setting where it will just act like a dehumidifier for the house and not run the full cooling mode.
www.fujitsugeneral.com/wallmou...
You can actually buy one on Amazon! It's pretty easy to install, but you'll need an HVAC Contractor to charge the system with refrigerant.
www.amazon.com/dp/product/B00E...
Purchased: August 2023 - still works GREAT!I ruclips.net/user/postUgkxxsUnXhGsSJLim_XnMHyQK0u3XVaW-CGn live in a studio and during the summer it gets scorching hot - really old building with no ac units. I can’t express how EASY it was to install. This unit has been a life savior during the summer and some days during other seasons where it can still be a bit warm at night. In this small place is my friend, a husky, poodle mix and myself. We need AC - lolI don’t use the dehumidifier option - I’m not sure if it will leak in my house, since I did not install the small draining hose that came with it. May look into it late but I don’t worry about much humidity in the apartment. I don’t understand why the negative reviews since all things mentioned, I personally did not find issues with. Definitely worth it!
One of the best ductless mini split videos I've seen so far. Great job!
Thank you so much for this video, Matt. I'm going to be building a new home in the near future and was trying to find something more cost efficient than the standard HVAC units. I live in SC, so I'm glad to know these mini splits work so well. I love that it also has a dehumidifying-only function, too!
This is THE BEST review of a mini split that I have ever seen. I used to have a mini split and thought I knew a lot about it, but you taught me even more valuable info. Thank you!
Thank you. This video helped me understand mini splits a bit better
I sell mini splits and this the best video. I send this to my customers to explain how these work. Thank you.
Can you tell me how well the Mirage or AUX brands are? And can they all be installed by myself?
@@rhondall65 Not well. Cheap machines that will maybe last you a couple of years. Just by the web sites alone I wouldn't spend my money purchasing. Unless you have very good skills I would say no DIY. Let the professionals do it. They will have a longer warranty they will service the machine. The number one issue is connections. Leaky connections. There is a reason why we do a nitrogen wash of the lines and pump the systems down before we fire it up. Tools most DIYers do not have. The Biggest issue is oversizing systems. Bigger is not better. They will not last and not create comfort.
I've never seen a better explanation of mini splits systems then yours...Thank you for taking the time!
Thank you for this video. We are remodeling our home in South Florida and I was tired of the dust and mildew collecting in ducs that we couldn't clean thoroughly. I am excited about this option. Great video by the way. Very professional and to the point.
Thank you and good luck Maggie. Try to keep the outdoor unit in the shade down there.
No worries, It is warm, but like a tropical jungle so I have a lot of shade.
i wish i saw this 3 years a go to warn you. mini split fan compartments get so full of dust and mold no matter how often you clean the filter and are very difficult to clean. a few brands have grills that open to get better access to the fan but most don't and cost from 200 to 400 dollars to get cleaned.
Magic Cheeseball, which units are easy clean?
We added a Mitsubishi mini split to our 1400 s.f. second home last year and absolutely love it. Best investment we've ever made and I never thought one small, centrally located rectangular box could possibly heat/cool a home evenly, but indeed it keeps the house evenly cool in the summer months and plenty warm in the winter. Our particular 24,000BTU model keeps the house quite toasty in the winter until the rare occasion the temps drop below 5 degrees, in which it struggles a bit to maintain 70 inside. Only once have we used a secondary heat source (-10 one morning), yet the inside temp was still around 63-65 and we used baseboard heat to bring the temp up to 70. Our winter electric bills dropped roughly 80% when we switched from baseboards to the mini split, and our summer costs also dropped quite a bit too with given its 19 SEER rating compared to the window units with a much lower SEER.
Finally, we added a wireless remote controller/thermostat to our unit, in which we can remotely view and change the temperate from anywhere in the world using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Thus, no more worries about forgetting to set the thermostat while away or arriving home to a hot/cold house. Huge convenience and benefit. I'm not a fan of the supplied, IR remote (which needs to be pointed directly at the unit itself), in which the heat setting cannot be lowered below 59 degrees. So installing an actual wall thermostat that communicates with the unit via wifi made a substantial difference. This provided a convenient location for temp adjustments, allowed us to set the heat setting all the way down to 50 degrees while away, and again allowed us to view/change the temp from anywhere (similar to Nest). Lastly, some brands/models are rated for lower operating temps than others, so be sure to take notice of the specs. For example, our non "hyper heat" model is rated down to -4F outside, whereas others are in the 5-15F range. We've found this number to be accurate in real life applications.
Thanks for this video; excellent all-around presentation.
Thanks for the review.. I have a roughly 1300 square foot home in Canada. On electric baseboard heat right now and the costs are killing me. I don't expect to replace them completely but was hoping to have a heat pump that is good to -25 to help me not dig into the baseboards for as long as possible (December-Feb are the killer months for us $ wise due to consumption) . Cooling is a huge concern because right now i have one window unit doing a decent job of cooling the house. Would you say that with doors closed in the house, other rooms still bennefit from the cooling/heating if it is maintained at steady temperatures? The company I had come in to do the estimate seemed to think that i should put the upstairs unit in the master bedroom and leave the doors open. I was hoping that I might get away with putting the unit at the top of the stairs and have it cool down the 2nd floor even with doors closed. Doesn't seem practical to have to leave the doors open in every room when you have guests or young children sleeping.
mini slplit sysrems r now 1 of the new best things to me
Our central A/C has stopped working, so we have been cooling our house with a series of window A/Cs. Me being a teen who loves technology/efficiency, I have started looking into Mini-splits as a method of cooling our home! I think these systems are efficient, personable, among other things, and I hope we can make the switch to this form of cooling/heating!
Great Job.
I'm sold.
After my 13 yr old Miller starts going out, were going Split !
Thank you a million times over for this. We are buying our first home in NJ and it is an older home with window AC, 6 bedrooms, a huge basement and no ventilation in the 1 and 1/2 bath. I am from Texas. All i know is duct work and central heat and air. So even though i got a killer deal on the house, I was very concerned about the cost of converting to central ac...UNTIL NOW! I was searching the internet for HOURS to find a solution and THIS IS IT! I am calling for one of these as soon as possible! THANK YOU!
You're welcome. Good luck with the new house. After you get settled into the new house, you might start watching my website and other RUclips channel, where I'll be posting all my home performance stuff. www.greatlakeshomeperformance.com/ and the channel is ruclips.net/user/GLHPTube I'll have a lot more videos on how to make older homes more energy efficient and comfortable. Thanks for watching.
tanham007 So it’s four years later. How is that system working for you. I’m seriously considering this system for my home as well.
I have 2 of these units in my house. I bought a 12k btu single head and a 36k btu. quad head 4 yrs ago. I have a 1800 sq ft houe and live in NC. Highest bill I have had is $110.00 during the winter in 2013. Very happy with performance of these units.. Most of the time I only have to run the head on one of my quads. Hot afternoons I turn on one other head in bedroom to help keep house cool. I will install again if I ever get another home. I did upgrade my insulation and windows on my 1969 house 4 yrs ago The great thing is that if u need 1 one cooler u can just crank up the unit for that room. Do not have to do the whole house!
you just gave me comment or review i was kooking for
I live in a 28ft travel trailer, would a 9000 BTU unit be enough to cool it off in 110 degree heat?
First came in contact with these in Europe over a decade ago. So happy they are finally here. Am adding one this year for my family room addition.
hope you got one, you will love the humidity control, cause sister, fla got some serious humidity!
Great video for those who are looking for this type of system. I have central AC but also have a 2 story home, with a basement. Central AC still have troubles getting way up to that "2nd" floor. I know somebody who has central AC but also added one of these on the 2nd floor, where the bedrooms are located, so at night they don't need to run the central AC as much, but the ductless keeps the upper floor nice and cool. A great idea. Great video ! watched this a few years ago and watched it again.
Very informative and changed my views on Ductless AC. Loved your humor on the
James Bond AC allusion. Many thanks!!
In Asia they are standard installs. Very energy efficient.
mini splits are great products. in my 38 years in the trade inverter technology is the biggest game changer I have seen. they are the the future of air conditioning. as for the comment on over sizing ; Mitsubishi,Trane and Diakin all say the same thing in training classes. the number one issue they have with mini splits are over sized systems. although they can run at around 30% capacity they will not work properly if not sized for the load. and the problem escalates in high humidity applications.
Thank You Mike.
HVAC Mike A
Hi Matt,How ironic is this....I also live in Michigan (Lansing) and it is going to get to 93 degrees today. Naturally, my central air quit yesterday and the repair guy just left. I told him I was thinking of adding air conditioning to my cottage up north and he strongly suggested a mini split system, so I started to do a little research and ran across your video. Very informative and well done! Thanks! Gary in Lansing
Nice! Ours is purring away right now keeping the house cool and dry. Where up north? Depending on where you are, I might be able to recommend a good contractor.
Thank you for this great video. It was the catalyst that inspired us to jump in! I watched it the first time around 5 or so years ago and was intrigued. Baseboard heating is super expensive to use, and hated putting in window units every summer and all the noise they make and light they block. After watching your video a couple more times, and checking out a couple of other videos on the topic [not as good as yours, I might say], we ended up getting a Mr. Cool DIY mini split in 2019 and we couldn't be happier. We have a 1100 sq ft home so we got a 24,000 BTU unit. It has done very well saving us money [especially in the winter], noise and my back. It is also hard to seal up around a window unit.
Two tips from our experience. First, the phone app was terrible at having consistent temps. After a few months, we called tech support, which uninstalled it for us and told us to just use the remote. Success! This summer, we needed a new roof. We got a ridge vent put on as well, and the consistency is absolutely perfect with a cooler attic space.
Very helpful, thank you! You deserve a billion views haha!
thank you for making this video! It helped me make a decision to go with it!
I just had the fijitsu ductless system installed recently. I tell you even though its on the pricey side its well worth it. I live in New York City and summertime with the temperatures and humidity combined can make for some sleepless nights even with a good window AC. Simply because the AC can't remove that humidity and it works hard all day. The ductless system is great because you can focus the Air Conditioning to a specific room your in and you dont have to have every room cold just the room your in at the moment. Plus it's a heater and removes moisture on the air all are 3 different settings. It comes with a 1 year installation warranty(meaning whomever installs will come and fix it) and a 7 year manufacturer warranty. I do have HVAC and was indecisive about Ductless vs Central Air. I'm glad I choose Ductless.
Thanks for the information. We have been thinking of installing one of these units on one of our properties. Very informative video.
Hi Matt, sorry, the Fujitsu has no thermostat in the remote control.It senses the room temperature from the air entering the unit before it is cooled. Also the remote control is infrared, meaning if you take it into the next room the mini split will never receive a signal from the hand held control
Also, a ranch style house has no basement. He has a walkout basement which removes the ranch style designation.
A raised ranch is a two-story house, in which a finished basement serves as an additional floor. It may be built into a hill to some degree, such that the full size of the house is not evident from the curb.
I know and like this units a lot too, we have been using them in Mexico for the last 12 years
We are Airbnb hosts and recently had our 40 year old HVAC crawl space unit die on us. Local companies all independently agreed the system had seen its last. quotes ranged between 5,700 (builder grade) to 6,700 . We didn't have the money and was expecting guests back to back for the next two months. Somebody mentioned "mini-split" as a solution. No concerns about under the house crawl space installs, fraction of the cost. Thanks for explaining. We've cancelled our guests scheduled for the next ten days. Lost some money, but hopefully we can be up and running with the mini-split. Thanks for explaining the advantages which certainly meet our needs.
Thank you. Best discussion of mini split vs wall AC I’ve seen. We just bought a 1500 SqFt 3rd/top floor condo built in 1997 with 2 wall ACs, one in the living room and one in the master bedroom walk-in-closet with vents into the master and second bedroom. I’m considering changing to a mini split system. Condo association policy is that the wall hole cannot be changed. Not sure yet about their reaction to hanging the compressor on the outside wall. Electricity is already in place so would it be possible to fill in the current wall hole except for electrical and condensate conduits, and have 1,2, or 3 fans inside?
Wise choice. My unit runs so quietly that you'd have to walk up really close to even know if it's running, and by mounting it on brackets like this, you eliminate the need to trim around it and can keep it clean from lawn mower debris and mice. I looked at the Mits Mr. Slim units, but settled on this one mostly because my dealer was offering a special. Your R2 unit might be a little miffed and wander out in the desert and be picked up by sand people.
R2 unit...I see what you did there...👌
How long have u had the AC for? Has it given u any problems? In Australia Fujitsu is not the top pick, Mits. Heavy Ind. is and have been for two years. Fujitsu ranged 5th somewhere round there.
do you have a recommendation on who or where I can get help to install a mini split air con/heater unit?
Depending on where you are located. I'm purchasing one of the units for one of our customers and with speaking about this we are in the Atlanta area just inside the perimeter atlanta ga. 30084 lots off our customers are around the grant park area. We are pulliam hvac and would be most excited to come out and serve you and install the complete system if you want to contact me buy name is Stacey and my husband name is joey 770 572 0718. Thank you
I just installed an 18,000 BTU L-G unit in a very similar installation as yours. It does the whole house and right now I am in heating mode here in southern Connecticut. I also added a 240 volt on / off switch on the wall to shut it off and eliminate the ghost electrical load when the unit is off. The installers told me to always use the remote control to turn the unit on / off. I also notice that the outside unit takes about a minute or so to totally shut down after the inside unit is turned off. The unit has both a soft start and shutdown. By using the switch only, I am told that it can damage the circuit boards if used on a regular basis. Makes sense to me. The bottom line is that this is a real game changer as far as interior comfort is concerned.
+John Cilyo Glad its working out for you. One thing I learned about that ghost load is that during really cold weather, if you have it turned off at the switch, wait to turn the unit on for a bit after throwing the switch. That gives the crankcase heater enough time to heat up the compressor oil to save some wear on the tiny compressor. They really are a pretty amazing little device.
+Matt KnowsThat Many thanks for the tip Matt! r. The other thing that I did on the heating side was to install smart boiler controls w/ outdoor air sensor on my Burnham V73 boiler instead of the standard Honeywell triple acting aqua stat I now have a dynamic set point for my boiler water. I also installed Grundfos Alpha pumps. Look them up. I now effectively transfer heat to my baseboard. I keep the thermostat at 70 degree and I only use 1.2 gallons per day of oil.The next project that I am moving onto is installing a heat pump hot water heater . It is made by A.O. Smith and has a 50 gallon capacity. No more humid basement with that unit. The local utility has a on the spot rebate so my final price at time of sale is only $ 600.00 + no tax.
Nice informative video. One of my office tenants has both a ducted split HVAC and a mini split and is able to get by using the mini most of the time which saves them a lot on the electric bill in the central Florida heat. You didn’t mention that some mini split heads are cleverly designed to double as picture frames. I only know this because my brother in law has one of these in a segregated guest bedroom.
Mini splits are great but I would install a sheet metal sun shade over the compressor. Just shading it can lower the temperature at that location by 15 degrees.
John Puccetti serious question, how would shading it effect the efficiency and overall performance?
@@nholt 15° is a streach.. Right now its 100° in the shade and 101° air temp. 100 hundred feet away, infrared.
These units are built for 99% of conditions found worldwide.
Hi Matt--Hope you are still answering questions. We have a 1870sf ranch house in Northern California with high temps rarely in the 100s and lows rarely in the 20s. Currently have a 3.5 ton a/c and 76K BTU forced air furnace, but are doing energy upgrades soon. We have a large open floor plan that includes an office without a door and 2 bedrooms. How many ductless mini-splits do you recommend? What do you think of Fujitsu's?
Thanks for the information, I'm looking at installing a similar system in my home. I was concerned about noise levels, but you addressed the issue. Thanks again.
Fujitsu has single zone mini splits up to 33 SEER not only 21.5, they also have the capacity to have up to 8 indoor units connected to a single outdoor unit not only 3 indoor units as you mentioned. They also sense temperature from the return air at the indoor unit, the remote control does not have a temp sensor in it only the wall mounted thermostats show the room temp.
How much do you think 5 indoor unit will cost for a 980 square foot home?
Or do i need that many for 3 bed 1 bath?
Does a multi-zone mini split decrease the efficiency of the units vs. a single zone one? thanks. Klare
Yes, but not by much. This is a old video and in just the last year a two outlet low tempture unit is rated 10% higher than simular units sold two years ago.
Brilliant. How many BTU's is your unit?
Mine is 19,500 BTU
Well presented, thank you for posting. We have an A frame type house looking mainly for a heater like this. What type of wiring did you have to do as I do not see anything inside and a junction box outside maybe? Thank you again
Hey Matt,
Thanks for the great and informative video! We are going to build a small shed roof style SIPS house (Structurally Insulated Panels) with a 640 sq ft footprint and a 240 loft with a full basement. In your experience, do you think a 12,000 BTU or 1 Ton would be enough for the 1st floor and loft (880 sq ft total), given the fact that it's SIPS construction or would you go bigger. We would also probably install another wall unit in the basement.
Thanks for sharing your expertise. Can you pls elaboarate on the model, price and installation cost if any as well as the power consumption. Thanks again.
I recently got to see a Mitsubishi unit (with 3 indoor units running on the one outdoor unit) and to give people a frame of reference for noise level, the outdoor unit is quieter then the cooling fan on my laptop computer, if you didn't see the fan spinning you would believe it was running, which is a FAR cry from the noisy compressor of typical ducted HVAC units.
Indeed. We have a window located just above the outside unit, and even with it open and standing next to it, its impossible for us to tell whether the unit is running or not. The inside unit makes a bit of a quiet whoosh sound on the rare occasion the fan is operating at higher speeds; otherwise we don't hear a thing, even when the room is completely silent.
Mitsubishi (800-433-4822) markets, advertises, and their phone messages re-enforce the “fact” that their Ductless, wall mounted, split-type air conditioners (heat pumps with Inverter technology), are WISPER QUIET. But in their owners manual, they say it is sometimes normal for the units to make noises that sound like pops and cracks.
I met with both their diamond dealer Robert Bair from DowersGrove, IL and Mitsubishi in Schaumburg, IL to emphasize that we are light sleepers, the only reason I need your units is because my quiet furnace makes too much noise for my wife. I demonstrated how quiet my furnace was to the dealer! Mitsubishi demonstrated a unit and said that all I will hear was the low constant fan noise. They never mentioned the popping and cracking. I complained for 2 years, The popping & cracking is getting louder. Not able to use them. Lost of over $6000.00 investment.
@Russ Woodward you use it for heat in the winter? how is the energy cost for it? we are in wisconsin and looking at it for heat and ac for our two upstairs rooms.
I have that system and love it
@@gregorygrimm5540 -- so let us know ... why & what to use!
Wow! ... very informative video! Thanks for all the info ... I was wondering about how many inside units I might need for my home, but it will be much smaller than yours and you answered the question! The remote is the thermostat! Perfect! Thanks ...
deb putman
Keep in mind the remote wont work through walls.
Matt. thrilled to find you. My marvelous Fujitsu Mnii-split is several years old. Recently, it developed an occasional vibration on the exterior unit. It is attached to cabin, like yours. I shut off the breaker to clean the ext. fan blade but do not see the easiest route to reaching them. (and sunsequentlty, the vibration has quit like It was resetting itself. It also happened for a few days last year...???)
Thank you. This unit is the only way to go.
How are the head units connected?. If you have one compressor how does this work with the multiple head units that are seperated by several rooms?
There is 3 ports on the back of that compressor. So you run a line set from the compressor to each head. I just ran a 5 port system in a house. So there is a line set for each head spread through out the house. (A total of 5 line sets at the compressor.) The head units are not interconnected (from head to head) but are all individually controlled and connected to the compressor. Hope that helps.
There are multiple connection points on the back of the outdoor unit. Each indoor head unit would have a "line set" that runs to and from the outdoor unit.
I'm in Detroit and my home was built in 1924 with a radiator system that no longer works. I'm looking for a heat and AC solution without taking up space with duct work. How is the performance in the winter for heat?
Keep your radiant heat. It is truly, the most comfortable heating system. I didn't appreciate them until I moved out.
I kept my oil fired baseboard system because once you have hot water heat you appreciate the comfort on a cold February day! A mini split is my primary heat saving me $800 to $900 per year in oil and AC cost. Humidity control is the most amazing thing with these units and I would buy another for that reason alone.
Great review! many of my questions have been answered by you. Keep up the good work Matt.
Thanks your video is very informative! I’m considering this for my bilevel as it’s always cold downstairs and I have a forced air system that doesn’t heat.cool effectively.
What is the electric bill like per month?
where do you recommend purchasing this system. I only need to cover 400sf so 12000 unit?
You just need to find a good dealer/installer. Service is the key, you want someone who has installed and serviced a lot of them. If you call and ask about mini-splits and they're not sure what you're talking about, hang up.
@@MattKnowsThat Boy o boy, the hate on mini splits is real though. Big 10k + jobs are being challenged by $2-4k installs, tech. hate them because THEY dont know anything about electronics and real estate people see mini splits as a eye sore! I freely give my experience in saving 60 to 65% in hvac energy cost over my 2014 cost and because I see mini splits as saving 20% in hvac related air pollutants .
Well that is because they put of dirty electricity as EMF with the VSD inverter, and cause cancer, so yeah people are getting wise to them or at least that is what they say.
@@wolfpack8643 cause EMF issues you mean?
@@wolfpack8643 No, that doesn't happen. And what's a VSD inverter? You have no idea what you are talking about.
Great video! Well done Matt! We will probably upgrade to this type system when it time to replace our current AC unit.
Hey Matt,
Happy to report that the unit is working exceptionally well. Thank you for the information. No I can play my guitar and be warm. Thanks, Rudy
Cool, funny too that I have my guitar on my lap right now! Working on Tennessee Flat Top Box. Our mini split is off right now because it's 7° outside right now and it's cheaper to run the propane boiler. It would still put out heat but not very efficiently. Glad I was able to help with the video!
is it also a good dehumidifier?
C Tomlin YES. Its running right now on dehumidify. It was about 90 today and 80% humidity...we kept the house closed up and did not run it all day but just turned the dry mode on for a while and it's keeping the house at about 52% right now.
What size do I need for my 1200 sqft apartment? Does it come in different sizes?
Yes. Systems are sized for the space you want conditioned. Single level or multi level space? Are you looking for a single zone or a multi zone? How many zones to you want or need to condition?
THANK YOU...for sharing. Very nice installation, especially on the outside of the house. Very professional job.
That is very cool Matt. It would be good for our small house. The furnace and ac unit are old in our place and doesn't do the best job. The living room has high vaulted ceilings so in the winter the living room is always cooler then the bedrooms.
How much did it cost yours including installation? Please let me know .Thanks for the video.
Hi, we are living in Switzerland where AC is almost unheard of in homes. Does Fujitsu have 220 units. Do you have to drill a hole in the wall (we rent), is there any other alternative?
@Russ Woodward That cost more than the real thing , just sayin
Had one for 20 years, but I live in Japan.
Hi Matt: I live in Wayland, West of Boston in Massachusetts. Weather is probably similar to Michigan where you live. My house is approximately 3000 sq. ft with a 20x25 sq.ft living room and a nearly 25 ft high ceiling. Also, it has a very open design with two heating/cooling controls (upstairs and downstairs). The high ceiling is lovely to look at, but boy it takes a lot of heating! Fortunately we have two large fans to circulate the air. The house has duct-work and an oil-burner etc. I also have a large solar system which produces sufficient energy to run everything (cooking stove, washer, dryer, hot water and everything else , except heating).
I am considering installing mini-splits to heat my house, possibly as a supplement to oil-heating. I read glowing comments about mini-splits, but I am not sure it is worth the cost (which I don't know yet. Massachusetts has significant rebate system to make the investment more attractive.).
I seek your expert comment on this. I will appreciate it greatly.
Hey this was an amazing video I'm glad you posted it I've been going back and forth trying to decide whether I'm going to install a ductless mini-split or if I was going to try to run Ducks myself and I think you just help me make up my mind
How much will it cost to purchase and install?
a lot
How much is a lot?
My house *has* ducts. I blocked them all off and am using mini-splits. Love mini-splits!
*****
Windows?
I don't really see the difference here. Most, if not all, residential ducted HVAC systems don't have any ventilation built-in, either. You shouldn't be counting on leaky ducts for ventilation.
I cook in the morning during the summer (coolest time of day) with range hood on and far side air inlets (windows, pass-through door to garage) open. My range hood is 900 cfm rated, although I don't run it at max.
And in reality, no house is airtight. If it were, things like range hood and bathroom fans wouldn't work.
Now, if we're talking about public spaces where a lot of people can be present, a separate ventilation system would be required one way or another.
the exhaust lines run outside. also the bulk of the exhaust, is expelled from the outside unit.doesn't effect inside air quality.
Ducted systems recirculate the air. I think the air would be much healthier as I have had rodents get in my ducts. I had to take a long vacuum hose and pull out insulation the rodents stuffed in them. I'm in a doublewide, they got in through the flex crossover duct so I had to replace that. I would much rather just have a mini split.
catsspat I
How are the electricity costs?
Great info👍 we’re also in Michigan in Westland just bought a house with water boiler and baseboard heating as well which I like(allergies)but wife hates cause no air! Just looking at options think you made my mind up for me thanks bud!!!🤙
Great video. Outstanding presentation Matt . I will make sure to spread the video for you buddy.
I m from India and I was actually quite shocked seeing that people in America are using central air which is very inefficient we have for always been installing mini splits not only is it more convinient but also lot cheaper to run.. We don't need to run air con in parts of the house which no one is occupying.. Central air con is a huge waste of energy.. It is ironic how in one sphere America is promoting ev's to save the enviorement on the other hand doing such practices that will do so much more harm to the environment as having ac running in the entire house needlessly.. I think a move to ductless is necessary.. Also mini splits are dirt cheap here maybe due to cheap labour mini split air cons cost around $800 for a single 1.5 ton unit and $50 for installation also we need really big units here considering temperatures here reach 120 F.. But ductless is definitely the way to go..
My HOA will probably try to push back on this, but I really want mini spits to replace our old system. When they built our home, they put the compressors in the stupidest place too. Te biggest hurdle I face will be the bureaucracy of the HOA, though.
Maybe give people an idea of cost to install one?
Too many variables. Mine was about $4000, but they can run from $1000 for a cheap basic system to $20,000 for a five head fancy unit with long line sets.
4K was the installation cost for yours?
My quote also came in at $4k (unit + installation) which is why I did what I did: ruclips.net/video/YwhCTNI14y8/видео.html
Just had ours installed a week ago, the weather is pretty cool up here now so we missed out on testing it out for AC in the summer so we'll see next summer. But it was 23 C in the house earlier and I put it on its lowest setting just to see and I could literally see my breath when I stood in front of it! haha I think its going to be amazing for both heating in the Canadian cold and during the hot summer!!
Great video! Our current house is about 1200 sq ft. We are adding a 500 sq ft addition. I was thinking of tying into our existing ductwork (3 ton outside unit with gas furnace) and using that to heat and cool our addition. The local HVAC guy suggested looking into a mini split. Until today I had never heard of one. I like the idea of the heat pump since we have had furnace problems for a long time. Our home isn't very open. We have hallways to deal with. So now I am wondering about getting a mini split with a couple heads. One for our addition (Master bed, bath, and walk-in closet) and one for our living room area. What are your thoughts on that?
Mini-splits are the way to go if duct work is impractical or in a bad spot, such as under the slab of a house like mine...well after 50 yrs the ducts have rotted out and get flooded with water in the winter. I abandoned my central air/heat system and went to mini-splits. No comparison, they work fantastic and my power bill was cut around 50%. I highly recommend them. I ended up installing individual units for each room.
Thank you very much Matt Knows That, I appreciate you getting back to me. I have one last question how much was the install cost and how much was the cost of the mini-split.
vbuckley1780 They didn't break my unit cost out from the total which was $4400. I think the unit was about $3200 and the rest was install and charging the system. Keep in mind that for my install they had to drill a 3" hole through the brick wall and also had to mount the outdoor unit on the shelf on the brick. Also mine is a pretty good size one with a total output of 19,500 BTUs.
I was very encouraged when you said that this single zone was able to provide AC to your 1600 sf home. We have a 1200sf rental property (5 rooms) in Northern Calif and are looking to add AC to the home.
I sort of have an idea of installing a 24k BTU 21 SEER unit in the family room and ALSO run the fan-only mode on the furnace to circulate the conditioned air better to the bedrooms. The ducts are ceiling mounted and run in the attic space, so I would imagine in order to prevent too much AC loss via warm ducts, I'd have to make sure they are insulated well.
I was seeking your opinion on this plan vs just installing a 2 ton central air unit (quotes of maybe $5-6K) which may or may not have reliability and noise problems. It's a 45 year old home w/ older ducting. Humidity is not so much a problem as in the eastern and southeastern US.
Chris
Sounds like a plan to me. You can also use the existing air
handler to ensure the air is filtered better. These mini splits only have a
tiny screen filter, not a pleated full size filter. The only weakness I see in
your plan is that running the existing air handler in fan mode 24/7 can
potentially cost a lot of electric. Most air handler fans are 500 to 700 watts.
If you're in northern CA, your electric rate is probably at least 20 cents per
Kwh? That means it would cost $75 a month to run the fan. If the fan is 700
watts and your electric rate is more like 25 cents, then it would cost $126 a
month to run the fan. Do the math and see if it's worth either installing a
second head unit (about $1200 more) or replacing the air handler fan with an
ECM motor which would only draw about 225 watts.
Matt KnowsThat what model do you have? 15rls?
you need one on the wall in each room, not one for whole house
Well done. Thank you.
I have a two story center hall colonial home with forced air heating and cooling.. Also the house does not have an attic. My issue is the second floor does not have a return and it gets very warm in the summer months. I was thinking of getting a ductless unit but I'm not sure this will solve the problem. While it may cool the upstairs, the ventilation problem will still exist. Any suggestions?
Thanks Bill sweating in New Jersey
Thanks for the detailed video. Can you please give a more detailed explanation of the cost to run the unit on a monthly basis and how much you pay per KWH where you live thanks.
Great video explaining these systems! Thanks Matt
Hello, just installed a Fujitsu Halcyon for my second floor apartment in Connecticut. Never had A/C so what is the best way to run it? Economy? Set a temp and forget? I am learning about it now and want to focus on efficiency for my high New England electric bills!!!!
thanks. Toni
watched your video. thanks for making it. these are easy to install so there are lots of DIY guys doing them. biggest question people want to know is sizing. and how well one unit can supply the air needed for multiple room floor. I wish you would ad the size of unit you used. and how many square ft it is cooling. and how many rooms are in that space. thanks.
+jerry dombroski Thanks for the comment. I agree that I need to make a video on sizing. My unit is 19.5Kbtu and it heats/cools 1680 square feet.
which exact model do you have? the amazon link you posted is the 15000 btu rls2, so i'm wondering which model has 19.5k btu thanks
Great video Matt, thanks for sharing this. how is this compare to a traditional heating system from both cost and energy perspective?
Hello, Matt! Your video was very helpful. I am looking into these systems to heat and (here's a new one for us) actually air condition our 100-year old house. The problem with our old diesel furnace is that replacing it would cost way too much (the old one was 170,000 BTU and is considered "environmentally offensive" by today's EPA standards. The entire fire chamber inside it collapsed (the thing was 50 years old, so it did not owe me anything). Putting in ductwork is way too expensive a project for me, so these seem like an answer to a prayer.
+Elizabeth Collins Good luck Elizabeth. I think you might be on the right track. PLEASE do yourself a favor and get an energy audit done, especially a blower door test. I had an old Victorian built in 1892 which is how I got in the business of testing homes for energy efficiency. There may be a few easy big things you can do to your house that will save hundreds and hundreds of dollars on your energy bills.
Matt KnowsThat I know this place could use replacement windows eventually. With 23 of them, that's going to have to come later when I can afford to do that. It does have older storm windows-better than double-sash, but still not perfect! Also, the insulation in the plaster-and-slat walls was blown in in the 1980's and I have seen my father reno my Grandmother's place (which was nearly 300 years old) and the blown-in insulation from the (I guess?) mid 1950's (did they have that then?) had settled to halfway down those walls! YIKES!
Thanks for this video. I am thinking of buying one now that I think the installation is doable.
I saw the enclosed porch behind you. I'd love to know how you waterproffed the floor to nprevent water below. Not a lot of videos about how to do that.
Thanks for doing the video, nice to know how these systems work.
I know about central air and window/wall units but really knew nothing about mini split systems.
I've a question though, I'm in northern CA. my house is a little under 1000sq ft. it's a 2 bedroom, 1bath, kitchen 9' by 10' that's open to the living-room (living room is 14' by 20') and a hallway that's 12' by 18'. I'm thinking of getting a 36,000 BTU Multi21 Quad-Zone so I can put a wall unit in each bedroom, one in the living room on the same wall that's close and leads into the kitchen, and a unit in the hallway (hallway goes from living-room to bedrooms & bathroom). Does this read like over kill or would this work?
I’m finally decided to install a mini split ac in my house as well. Does the Fujitsu co. also do installations? I only need it for ac & not the heater do I get to choose or are these unit come in the standard of both? This video was very helpful otherwise.
I was wondering what you thought of that for using the heat pump in the winter.
great video. thank you. maybe you can help me determine if this is the right solution for me. we live in a 1000 sq. ft. hi-rise apartment without the ability to open windows or doors (the outside air is filled with odors & vehicle exhaust). we want to fill our apartment with fresh, clean, moving air all the time. we currently have a recirculating hood over the stove and a 20 year old recirculating heating unit in the living room. these recirculating units do just that: they recirculate stale, smelly & dirty air. neither have the ability to intake, clean, cool or heat and distribute fresh clean air throughout, leaving our house full of old, stale, and dirty air (even when both of these are running a maximum). we've unsuccessfully tried many different portable air filtration units. could this type of mini split system be the answer? any guidance, suggestions or alternative solution are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Thank you!! We are in the planning process of building a new shop & office for our business. We are installing in floor radiant heating & I was stumped as to how to control the climate in the office & break room portion in the summer. This looks like exactly what we need! Does the indoor part of the system need to be directly plugged in or is it powered from the main compressor unit?
Matt Very Good Video! I have a garage that I am considering putting the Mini Split Heat pump in while running lines to the wall unit to the house. I do not care if the mini split heats or cools my garage. Most of the time I leave the garage door open for some air flow. Can you think of any reason why I should not do this set up?
Very informative video. Looking to cool my 60 year old gas/baseboard heated ranch home. One contractor wants to put all the ductwork for a new central A/C system in the basement thru the floors - the thought makes me cringe. Ran across your video - is this a whole house alternative? The ranch is 1350 sq-ft. The efficiency is amazing . . Thanks for your response in advance.
This is the PERFECT option for a small house like that. Depending on your floor plan, you may need to install two heads instead of one inside, but ours works great with just one head in the living room for cooling. For heating it would be nice to have two heads, but we don't mind the bedrooms being 5-8 degrees cooler in the winter time (better for sleeping). Find a contractor who likes mini splits and they'll cringe at the thought of installing all that ductwork!
This is great info...have been considering getting one for our home, but had no info on them...till now. Thanks!
Great video man Love the information and humor! Your the guy!
My central system is starting to go south, and I don't mean for vacation. Have seen these mini split and split systems in use and I'm thinking this may be the way to go for my next AC/Heat. I live in east central Alabama and it gets some kind of hot and humid here during the summer months.
To connect more units to the compressor, what are the aesthetics and how would that be done with no ductwork?
We have a 2 story Garrison house and wondering if i would need a wall unit for the 3 BR's upstairs? Also how many amp circuit does it need? I presume 30amp. I have a guy coming over this afternoon to price out the exact same system for us. We also have BB hot water heat. Oh and does the heat work decent? Sometimes my wife just wants to take the morning chill off on a cold morning. Thanks for posting! I was able to show my wife and mother in law what the system is all about.
Thanks for the video, I live in northern utah. 1. How did you determine what size system to get? (The space I need cooled is approx. 31' x 38') - the living room is open concept into the kitchen and the location of a mini split system would have a direct push down the hall to the 2bedrooms. 2. Why did yo go with Fujitsu and not Pioneer or maybe navien, Honeywell? A.ota
Great video and quite informative. In the process of making a decision about installing A/C in a house that does not have any air conditioning. I think you have convinced me that this is a very good option. Learned about the advantages of the mini-split system. Do you have any disadvantages to offer? I understand they are an expensive option but with great energy efficient rating. Otherwise, I don't know of any other disadvantages. Thank you again for your video.
Great video. Thanks for posting. Question... You mentioned shading your unit. Is it a good idea to shade a "traditional" unit as well?
+GR Aguirre If it sits in the direct sunlight, then yes, shading is a good idea. In most situations its common to put them on the shady side, close to the house.
+Matt KnowsThat Thanks Matt!! I have a project to start... An sun screen for my AC. 😅
Thanks for a great informational video! I appreciate it. Been looking into the mini splits and seems like a wise choice to purchase for this hot Texas heat.
Nicely done, sir. Very educational!!
Very well done. I have a bi level house with three bedrooms and a bath up a half of a flight and living room dinning room and kitchen on the main level with about 1500 ft. Will one unit do the whole house? Or do I need one to put vents in the bed room doors or smaller units in each bed room? Thank you
Thanks for the informative video. An easy one for you then - if I am using an equipment pad for the roof-mounted outside compressor - should I also buy those rubber anti-vibration pads too, to go inbetween the compressor legs and the equipment pad? My unit is a 1200BTU one - so not that powerful... Thanks in advance for your reply...
We have the Fujitsu and have run it for almost one year. So far, so good, except that currently, we cannot access heat. Your advice please on where the issue nmy lie. Thanks.