Hvac

[samoanrich]

Question for you Hvac guys, I'm pricing a new install of central air in our house and kinda veering to the lg systems that have wall units in each room of the house. We currently don't have central air in this house and it will be a new install. My main reason for looking at this system is I can heat my house down to 0 degree before it will kick over to our boiler system which is run by electric. Our electric bill is high and even though it's our only utility bill I still complain about it. Each room will have its own remote to control the heat in that room. And we won't have to keep the heat up in the spare bedrooms. So I'm looking for the cons/pro's of this system from you Hvac guys. Before I forget it is also comes with a heat pump. I also price the more common ac units. This lg unit is 1400.00 cheaper than the other units luxair/trane which both have the heat pumps,but will only heat down to 35 degree. So that's why im looking at the lg unit for the heating capacity. Thks

[hubcapsc]

I like them. My HVAC guy thinks they are a bunch of hooey.
Daniel Meyer used one or some of them in his old house.
I think some of them are pretty quiet. I would hate to gut
out a cool old house for ductwork if it could be avoided.

-Mike

[John Schmidt]

I don't understand....how do you heat a house "down" as opposed to "up?"  Is it an HVAC term or....?  ???

[hubcapsc]

I don't understand....how do you heat a house "down" as opposed to "up?"  Is it an HVAC term or....?  ???

The heat pump gets heat from the outside ... after it gets cold
enough, the heat pump doesn't work as well...

-Mike

[Steel cowboy]

John don't worry about it, you live in Florida and a heat pump is all that is needed. Some of the homes I wired when I was doing electrical work didn't even have insulation in the attics.

[John Schmidt]

OK, I understand the concept of the heat pump so now understand what he was saying. We have a five ton heat pump unit for our house and only a couple times in the last five years has the electric backup strip kicked in so it must "heat down" to a rather low temp. We've had some temps in the teens and 20's in recent years due to global warming( ) and it never kicked on. Just seemed strange to say "heat it down."   

[Kep]

I have sold and installed a few Mitsubishi mini split-system units..they are top of the line..inverter duty compressors deliver heat down to -13...easy to install ..quiet and very efficient.Like everything in life , you get what you pay for , Mitsubishi may be a bit more in $$$ , but definitely worth it. I am more of a gas/forced air HVAC guy , but when it come to mini splits , Mitsubishi is "IT".

[jim@98valkyrie.com]

We renovated a rowhouse in South Philadelphia that was 13 foot 3 inches wide with no AC. I wasn't willing to give up the space for duct work. The Fujitsu mini split that we had installed worked very well. We did have a high efficiency gas boiler for the winter that supplied cast iron baseboard radiators. I'm a bit leery of a claim of sufficient heat extraction down to 0 zero. A heat pump can only extract so much heat from the air when it gets down in the 30's, much less single digits. But new technology may present better ways to get that cold air heat.....

[dconstruct55]

Kep is correct,
If I were inclined to go with mini-splits, it would be a Mitsubishi. I also think that heat extraction at temps below 30 degrees has diminishing returns, I doubt it would be comfortable at 25 degrees, but at that point I guess your boiler/ or heat strips kick in.

I am not familiar with your environment, but due to cost, I would suggest at least thinking about a heat pump package unit. Yes, you will have to run ductwork through the attic, but I have done it and it is not terribly difficult. The insulated round flexible duct is easy to run. Just my 2 cents....

[samoanrich]

Guess I could have clarified that statement, heat down to 0 degrees. Thank you for clarifying that for me. I was just repeating what was told to me. I understood what he was saying and never gave it a second thought. Midwestern lingo Yes, it will have several mini splits. There pricing it with a heat pump and the only reason I'm considering that, is to help offset my electrical bill,which is ridiculous high during the winter months. Seems like there always raising there rates.  There saying I should be saving money with that unit. I'll let you know after this winter.

[Steel cowboy]

Living in Florida, the windows in my house are not thermo pained either. I did have them coated with a clear film (much like the dark tint on a cars Windows) which reflects the summer heat out and keeps the winter heat in.