Does anyone have any experience with mini-splits?

[LaydeeBug]

which ones are best, most efficient, quietest?

My house is too small for duct work, so I am exploring this option...

[Warpy]

1. They're probably the best option for retrofitting into a house without ductwork

which will be my problem in this house. The pros are that you can use the AC in the area you're occupying and turn it on in bedrooms just before you go to bed, saving money. The ones I've seen aren't terribly noisy.

The cons are having a large unit up on the wall, something a lot of people don't like, especially in rooms with lower ceilings.

The hospital near me has them in some of the waiting rooms and they seem to work just fine.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

4. I've been thinking about replacing our a/c unit with a mini split system.

The plan is to place the unit on the roof of the condo where our compressor currently resides.

I would keep the furnace for super cold days and use the heat pump portion of the mini split for milder cold days.

They say you lose 30% of efficiency just in your conventional duct work alone. The mini split delivers the hot/cold directly where it is needed. I think that is a huge deal. Especially in house like mine where the ducts are located in an unconditioned crawl space.

Yes, the draw back is the inside units on the walls. They do make ceiling register type units but that adds to the cost - and demolition if you don't have access to the ceiling from above.

[newthinking]

2. highly recommend them. They have been used in europe for a long time

Extremely efficient. Research the brands though. And be careful to shop around. They are very inexpensive due to the simplicity of the install. But since they are new to the us some firms are hiking the prices to unknowing customers.

[newthinking]

3. Mitsubishi, panasonic, samsung all make quality units

There are others that are good as well. I tend toward those who have been making them for years.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

5. We had one in the room addition

And it didn't work out too well. The first unit that the builder put in had an inside unit that was so long, the squirrel cage fan screamed at the bearings because of the load on them.

Then they replaced it with one slightly smaller, but it was undersized for the heat load of the room (lots of glass). It worked for quite a while, but not real well. Probably because of the heat load.

It had quite a bit of trouble with it leaking water down the wall. Remember that these things need to have a drain and pump to get rid of the condensation.

It finally died from water damage to the control board, and was replaced by a small full size split system.

If you are going to go for one, keep these things in mind:

Size it right for the room. How much glass is in the room?

Make sure the drainage tubing has a clean run, as straight as possible to a good emptying spot.

Check and clean the filter often, especially if you have pets. And make sure you have clear access to do this.

Keep the 'remote' in one place, with good airflow around it. (some of these have a small remote control instead of a wall mount thermostat).



Hope this helps